Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no “Kokoro”- - Chapter 6[LN] Volume 4: .4

[Matured Content]Saving an injured Fae in the forest had not been Islinda's plan, and worse, he turns out to be royalty, Prince Valerie of the summer court, heir and crown prince to the throne of Astaria.But then, humans were wary of those otherworldly creatures while the Fae looked down on the humans, thinking of them as lesser creatures. Islinda and the prince were worlds apart but that didn't stop them from falling in love. Unfortunately, Prince Valerie couldn't stay in the human realm forever and had to return to his kingdom with a promise to come back for her. And she believed him. But then, the other one comes instead. Dark, broody, ruthless yet dangerously handsome, everyone feared Prince Aldric. Even as a fierce warrior and son to the king of Astaria, Aldric is denied his right to the throne and cursed never to take his place because of his dark heritage. Twisted from the inside and starved of affection, Prince Aldric does what he is best at, causing misery. He captured Islinda - the woman who has drawn his brother's attention. He stole her from her home for his cruel purpose. If he couldn't have the throne, he could at least play around with his brother's love interest. His new prize. Islinda hated him. Loathed him for taking away everything that she could have had with the summer prince. He's the villain. Now she has been dragged into the middle of the dirty politics played in the courts of Astaria, not to mention surviving the cold games played by the prince. But all hope wasn't lost because the cruel prince could tempt her all he wants but he was never going to get the one thing he wants the most. To be loved. He would never have her heart! Or could he? ________“What can you offer me, little human,” He grinned, slow and cruel. She would make such a wonderful plaything. “Please,” She begged him, tears now gathering in her eyes, “Just let me go.” “Fine,” He shrugged as if it was an easy request, “You can go.” “W-what?” She croaked, finding it hard to believe. “Little human, you would find out my mind changes very easily.” Those words sounded merciful yet she could sense the threat beneath. But did he really mean? Islinda didn't sit around to find out as she broke into a sprint. If there was even the slightest chance of him changing his mind, then she would take it. She would not give up hope yet. She didn't know why but Islinda spared a look over her shoulder after a while and the blood drained from her face at what she saw coming. Oh no, she just made a terrible mistake. This was never freedom. It was a hunt. And she just became the prey.

# STUBBORNMing Yao suffered from severe insomnia. In her last life, she had even died because of it. Coming back to life once more, she woke up to a moody tyrant husband by her side. The man threw divorce papers at her. “Sign it! We’re getting a divorce!”Ming Yao signed the agreement without a word. However, she regretted it in less than a night. She realized that she still suffered from severe insomnia in this life. No medicine could cure her, and the only thing that made her fall asleep was her husband’s clear, crisp breathing. Everyone said that Madam Gu loved Fourth Master Gu. Even though she was abused all day long, she still treated him like her first love. Until one day, Ming Yao finally developed a drug for her insomnia. At the banquet, she held a superstar’s arm with a bright smile, then threw divorce papers at Gu Siye.“Mr. Gu, the papers have been signed. From now on, we’ll have nothing to do with each other!” Fourth Master Gu tore up the papers on the spot. He shoved her into a corner, his eyes sharp. “It’s fine if you want to leave, but return what you stole first!” “What did I steal?” “My heart!”Everyone ridiculed Ming Yao for being ignorant, incompetent, and frivolous. They waited for Fourth Master Gu to kick her out. Some media outlets boldly revealed that Ming Yao was dating the number one hacker in the world. The number one hacker: “Who spread such rumors? That’s my master!” Not long after, the media revealed that Ming Yao entered and left the same hotel as a luxury designer. The number one designer: “She’s my boss.” Seeing the woman dating different men every day, Fourth Master Gu was furious. He bit the woman’s lips and declared to the whole world, “Mrs. Gu belongs to me! Who dares to spread baseless scandals again?!”

“The greatest equalizer in life is death. If it becomes possible to cheat death, equality and fairness would be shattered, and all ethics, morals, common sense, and laws would be thrown into disarray.”

In a dystopian world 100 years in the future, where immortality is no longer just the stuff of fantasy, the pursuit of eternal life has become a universal obsession. Everyone is constantly toiling away in a never-ending hamster wheel, dedicating the entirety of their lives to work and earning money for the chance at an eternal afterlife in a vast cyber interface known as the Metaverse.

However, some are not content with merely existing for all of eternity in a cyber reality, and those people turned to the exploitation of blank slates, humans with advanced brain functions that can have alternate personas uploaded into their minds, essentially acting as vessels to extend the lives of others. Adam is a blank slate who wakes up one day with no memories and an unclear past. In his journey to uncover his past, he inadvertently unearths the heinous secrets lurking in the dark underbelly of this dystopian world, sending his life careening on a wild trajectory completely out of his control…

……………………………………………………………

Dear readers! Without any ads, maybe you will prefer .

Within the dream of the dreamer, the one who was dreamed of awoke.

… Borges

“I exist in the sunlight, the wind, between the heavens and the earth, and also in dreams.”

One night, Yu Hao, a college student who was at his wits’ end had an unexpected encounter with a mysterious visitor – “General” – who had dream travelled. He led Yu Hao in solving the countless riddles that abounded in the realm of the conscious, and lit up the fire beacons on the meandering Great Wall.

Thereafter, the darkness retreated, the sun rose, and when the long night was thoroughly lit up, the him who existed in reality was reborn.

The black dragon that roared, the lighthouse and demonic eye on the coastline, the rain forest before Chichén Itzá, the fierce beasts that wreaked havoc in the Colosseum…the bizarre projection of reality in one’s consciousness reflected the hidden place that the sunlight in reality couldn’t touch – the innumerable sins of the human heart.

The journey of seizing dreams continues, and one can only hope that the sun will continue illuminating the human heart.

…

Fire beacons on the Great Wall were lit up to signal a border invasion.

- Description from Novelupdates