Tessa is a wonderful princess though her parents have always despised her gothic looks. From black make up to dresses with worn black boots is her style. Tessa is known as Gothic Princess in her kingdom though she has always wondered if dreams came true on having a sweet Angel take her heart away. 

Laila is in training to be a wonderful Angel for her wondrous kingdom to be praised by her heart warmth father. Laila is having furious dreams of a angered Princess named Tessa though she can't figure out why she would be furious, Laila will be one sent down to cure this hateful Princess down on Earth. 

We are taking a new ride into a lesbian romance involving a Angel and a Gothic Princess...Two different personalities and rocky roads ahead, are you ready?

This book is inspired be the V.C. Andrews Gothic Horror/Romance Novels.

Alcohol, maybe even drugs, whatever this guy was on had turned him into a paranoid fidgety mess. And unfortunately, I was the manager, so the guy became my problem.

He had come into the LifeCost superstore where I worked with wild eyes that looked at everyone around him suspiciously, as if in his mind they were all watching him. His head snapped violently towards anyone that stepped in his line of vision, and his blotchy red eyes stared them down aggressively, making anyone close to him flinch away in fear.

 Since I had been in front of the store chatting to Karen during the slow hours that took place between ten o'clock and twelve o'clock on a weekday morning, I had watched the large man enter nervously. 

I had seen a few such customers over the course of the three years that I had worked here, and every time they had caused problem. Although most of the time they had been an interesting break from the boring full schedule of my job, last year, one guy who had the same watery red eyes and unsteadiness, stumbled his way towards the canned goods section and starting chucking the cans at the spectating customers. It had been a big ordeal because at some point a can had injured one of the other customers, and then the police were called, and then the ambulance came, a small news network decided to feature the story on their channel... Overall it turned into a large expensive mess wherein all our staff had to go through four weeks of conflict resolution coaching and people skills training so we were equipped with the means to calm people down and diffuse a potentially dangerous situation. 

The man who had come in today was wearing tattered clothes, dusty and greasy as if they hadn't been washed in a long time. His build was large, probably a bit over six feet with broad muscled shoulders, plus his obviously volatile state made his appearance nerve-racking. 

"Liam, I think this one is gonna be trouble..." Karen said lowering her red cat-eye glasses to get a better look at the man as he unsteadily walked to the centre of the store. A woman with her shopping cart walked too close to him and he promptly growled at her, causing the terrified woman to yelp and B-line her trolley for the exit. The people in the store were starting to notice the man, all turning their heads to get a look at him. He was already sensitive to people staring at him, so when people actually did start to look at him he got even more fidgety and started mumbling indecipherable words.

"Yeah, I'm on it." I sighed as I went over the four weeks of people skills training in my head, while Karen put through a call to our security.

First I would approach him, don't stand too close or too far away so as not to make him feel cornered or unapproachable. If things escalated the security personnel who would be standing amongst the crowd would step in and help me. And if it came to anything more serious I had a taser in my pocket and a few years experience of karate from high school.

"Hello sir, how are you doing today?" I asked calmly, with my sales-person-of-the-month smile.

He whipped around to look at me, and for a moment my breath hitched in my throat. The guy had terrifyingly wild eyes. His eyes were looking at me, but they were darting and refocusing on all the things around me at the same time. I could clearly see his pupils shuddering and I wondered what the hell he had taken to get to this state. Instinctively I took a step back out of caution.

As if my stepping back had triggered something in the guy, he started making noises. Something halfway between a grunt, and mumbling. Moreover, his eyes became even more crazed. They stopped shuddering and focused solely on me with a glint of distress and suspicion. 

"Is everything alright sir, do you need help with anything?" Calm and soothing was the tone I was taught to use to diffuse a situation. However, looking back on the training I realised that all the methods were designed to be used on people who were rational but experiencing a high level of rage. At the moment I wasn't sure this man had been rational, to begin with. If he was indeed on something than this was out of my jurisdiction and I would need to signal for the security in the crowd to help me.

The man just stared at me with an expression that almost didn't seem human. He then slowly took a step backwards almost knocking into the shelves of gardening tools, as if afraid of me. Although his eyes were terrifying, from how he stepped back, I thought that maybe he was scared. Since he seemed quite disorientated, he might not have realised where he was, and with all these unfamiliar people staring at him, he might be the one terrified of us. Maybe it wasn't drugs, perhaps he had PTSD or another type of mental illness and all the pressure he was going through was making him act strangely. Suddenly I felt bad for him. He was possibly just some guy who was going through a breakdown and didn't know where he was or what was going on.

Having a change of heart I decided not to signal for back up. If I could get this guy to leave calmy then I wouldn't have to get him in trouble, just send him on his way in a cab or something. 

I turned my head to the crowd to where Paul (our head of security) was standing and shook my head to tell him that there was no need to worry, and that he and his team didn't have to approach. He didn't look pleased with my decision, but he would listen to me nonetheless.

Suddenly people in the crowd surrounding us starting shouting and I snapped my head up to see what was going on. I looked up just in time to see the man smashing a heavy-duty LifeCost shovel into the side of my head. The last thing I heard was the sickening crack of my skull as the bloody impact of the thin side of the shovel pierced through my head and lodged deep in my brain.

 

Looking back I had been foolish. Firstly I should never have taken my eyes off of him, and secondly, I should have seen his stepping backwards for what it really was. It wasn't a sign of fear, it was him reaching for a weapon amongst the garden tool display to take me down. I blamed my good nature that always wanted to see the best in people for my death. Even if he did have a mental illness of some kind, I still should have kept my guard up and asked for security to take him away. If I had been more vigilant and less concerned about causing a scene, I would have seen him swinging the shovel at me.

Death by shovel. I cringed as I thought about how my parents would take the news. Their only child and beloved son had been killed by some crazed customer during his work shift. They would be absolutely gutted. 

In the last moments of my life rage filled me to the brim. What had this all been for? This short life of twenty-five years. I had been an insignificant unmemorable part of the human race. Perhaps my death would be in the news for a few minutes, and of course, my parents would remember me for the duration of their lives, but other than that I would be forgotten pretty soon. 

My name is, or was, Liam Miller. A twenty-five-year-old retail manager at a LifeCost branch. I don't have much to say because my life was pretty boring. I had an average name, lived in your average family of middle-class status, I was an average looking guy, not handsome but not ugly. I could say that I was kind of smart, I did well in school, had a lot of quirky talents and interests, and went to New York University and got a degree in business, but I didn't end up doing anything special with it. 

I hated standing out or drifting apart from the crowd, an irrational fear that I could never get a handle on during my life. I hated the feeling of being judged or embarrassing myself, so in an attempt to stay away from people's judgement I always did the easiest thing and chose the safest path. 

So I decided to go the safe route and take a job as a salesperson at LifeCost, a big retail store that had the monopoly in my state. The work was easy, except for the difficult customers, and I found comfort in my very normal life. But, as if the universe was angry with me for wasting my potential, some crazy idiot bashed my head in with a shovel. And killed me. After trying so hard to be normal, such a strange death was slap in the face from the universe.

The last thing I saw before my body hit the ground was the entire store descending into chaos. The people running and screaming out the front doors, Paul with a face of utter shock, Karen weeping and shaking in panic. And my murderer crumpled on the floor in a weeping agitated mess. 

I had tried so hard to be normal, and average, and just part of the crowd. But as the crowd of customers were running out of the store in a panic, I found myself alone dying on the floor regretting my decisions. Why had I been so afraid of chasing after my passion? Why had I been so reluctant to live life the way I wanted to? Why did I care so much about what people thought of me? 

As my eyes began to feel heavy, and the darkness encroached, I promised myself that if I had a second chance, I would do so much better the next time. I would live, really live. 









"LISTEN UP!" 

A voice like a foghorn gave me the fright of my life. The loud sound of it pulled me straight out of the abyss I had been dwelling in. 

Shocked and disoriented I looked around me to see many others just like me. The crowd of a hundred or so people was made up of a mix of genders, ages and races, all wearing strange clothes, robes and almost medieval-looking stuff. All of them had the same confusion on their faces that I'm sure I had on mine. Where was I? Who was I? 

Suddenly twenty-five years of memories flooded back into my head, like the flood gates holding my them back had just been opened, causing a sever headache to concentrate in the centre of my head.

 My name was Liam Miller. And I had lived a very disappointing life. My mother was born and raised in South Africa, and my dad, a Korean-American, was travelling the world for business when he met my mom and fell in love. They went back to the US together and had me. We were a happy small family unit. However, my over self-consciousness about my race and culture lead me to an irrational fear of being different. 

I had lived my life trying to be ordinary and pushing back any spark of difference or uniqueness in myself. I just wanted to fit in and be like everyone else. So I steered my life into a job I was overly qualified for and remained working there, wasting away my talents for three years until some lunatic walked in and killed me with a shovel from the garden tool display I had personally organized. 

Having lost my memories and then having regained them, made me distance myself from the life I had led. I could suddenly see myself clearly and understand the reasons for the strange choices I had made. 

The bullying I had endured during middle school for being a mixed child had set me off on this life of wanting to fit in. I hadn't even thought those years were the cause of my obsession with being normal, but now that I had objectivity, the root of my behaviour was so obvious. Bloody hell, if I had just gone to counselling I probably wouldn't have ended up dead. I would have stayed in New York and really furthered my career, instead of choosing what I deemed a normal job and stifling any ambition I had.

Nevertheless, as the fog in my head began to clear. I looked around again and saw that I was in this ginormous hall with so many others. Everyone looking as confused and bewildered as me. The hall looked like something out of a fantasy novel, with striking Gothic architecture. Dark stone columns and pillars then went on forever. The ceiling of this endless hall reaching about 30 meters high. 

"EVERYONE PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"

Again the foghorn went off. I looked up to see a cloaked man standing on a raised stone platform a few rows of people had of me. His was the voice that had shouted across the room, making everyone turn to stare at him. He had a gloomy disposition, and a face taken up completely by a large frown. I got the sense that he didn't want to be here.

When he spoke again he lowered his voice a bit. Loud enough so that everyone could hear, but not as loud as the amazing volume he had achieved earlier. 

"Everybody's memories should have been returned to them by now. So you should now know that you are all dead, and you have reached the purgatory..."

This whole thing so was unbelievable. Even though I had my memories, and remembered the feeling of the shovel slicing through my brain all too well, the idea that I was dead was hard swallow. I had spent many hours debating with my self and others what death meant, what it would be like, where I would go. However, I had never imagined myself ending up in a large gothic hall with hundreds of other confused people. 

"Listen carefully now. You will all be reincarnated into a new world and live a new life."

The crowd around me broke out into whispers at the word 'reincarnated'. This meant that I was going to live again. I was going to get another chance at life. When I had thought about death I had always secretly hoped that reincarnation would be a possibility. I had secretly wished that all the fantasy novels I had read would come true, and I would find myself in a different world, one filled with magic. Become a badass legendary warrior or something along those lines. 

The whispers around me get louder by the second as people's questions started spilling out of their disbelieving mouths.

'Wait is that guy serious?'
'Reincarnated...?'
'Oh, I now what event I'm gonna choose this time!'

My eyes were immediately drawn to a little old lady standing a few paces in front of me. She seemed so confused and scared as she held onto her wooden cane tightly. Her frail old body dwarfed by this large crowd. Since I died from having my head smashed in, I guessed that maybe she had died from old age.

"But first you have to make a choice, choose the path you want your future life to follow." The cloaked man's voice was deadly serious, in it there was no room for confusion, people seemed to find the reassurance they needed. We were all dead, and now we would be reincarnated. These were the facts of the situation.

The cloaked man then turned and stretched out his arm, pointing into the distance behind him. 

Everyone leaned forward, trying to get a better look at what he was pointing at. Although I was sure I had looked in that direction before, now the sight was completely different from what I had seen earlier. What I was sure was just the continuing of this large hall, miles and miles of gothic pillars, was actually something much more intriguing. 

At least two hundred meters away were seven large gothic arches which were all about ten meters high and seven meters wide. They were all built from thick dark stone pillars and more interestingly they were each filled with different things which were hard to identify at this distance. In front of each arch was a queue of people. The queues varied in size, each pillar with a different number of people lined up in front of it. Except for the arch on the far right that had no people in front of it. 

At this point, I was beyond curious as to what was going on, but as I looked at the people around me they wore different expressions. They all looked excited and full of anticipation as if they knew what was going on.

 A short woman a few paces in front of me was so eager that she was pushing past people so she could get to the front and get a better look. A group of guys behind me, who had already formed a make-do friendship were discussing which arch they would line up in front of. They talked so animatedly and with such excitement that confused me. I felt like an outsider. 

The cloaked man spoke up again.

 "The world of magic you are being sent to is governed by these seven deities. Each arch represents a deity's element. Due to the way you have lived your lives, you have been given the privilege of choosing which element you want to draw your main power source from. Now go forth and choose which element you want your life force to stem from."


For a moment the crowd stood still. Completely stunned about what we just heard, but then all at once people's senses kicked in, and everyone rushed forward to join the queues of the different arches. Only I was left standing there.

Liam Miller leads an embarrassingly average life. From his average height to his average intelligence, to his very ordinary job, nothing in Liam's life is truly fulfilling or exciting. 

After dying in a freak accident in his place of work, he finds himself faced with a choice. He has the opportunity to do what he has always done: choose the safest option and be guaranteed security and happiness, or he could do what he always feared and choose the terrifying, unsafe unknown that lies beyond the arch that represents darkness in the afterlife.

****
Heads up! this story is going to follow him through his growth. From a baby to a man (with a few time skips) so it will take some time before we see the main action.

I set off in the morning with Miya by my side. I left our carriage at the inn. Truly experiencing this world would give me a much better perspective than Daquan's memories. Wondering the streets would be a good way to go about it.
This was my first day actively experiencing a Kingdom in this magical world. It was a foreign kingdom, but they gave even foreign nobles a bit of respect. If I was a local noble, the bartender wouldn't dare question me staying in his establishment. Although I doubt any of them would give his dilapidated tavern a second glance.
Since he couldn't take out his frustration on the local nobles, a foreign noble descendant was an easy place for him to target his anger. There was nothing I could do to protest, I had not yet established myself in this world. Realistically, I couldn't fault the bartender. His anger was probably well grounded. I was happy he allowed me to stay at his run down tavern.
The streets were bustling with activity as Miya and I made our way through the Slivlia Kingdom streets. It was truly a city to behold. The architecture reminded me a bit of Gothic Architecture, however it was still distinct. Gothic Architecture was defined by their pointed archs, and I saw a lot of this being used here. I knew this from a random Wikipedia dive I had done on one bored night.
Shops and stores filled the streets of the district we were in. This was a lower district for commoners, I didn't see any other nobles during our walk.
"Ribs of beef and many a pie!" I heard someone call out over my shoulder.
I turned to see a young lad walking through the crowd bearing a tray laden with wooden bowls of cooked meats from a local shop.
All around me people are moving, gesturing, talking. So many people have come out to enjoy the town. There were men in knee-length brown tunics driving their cattle before them. Wives in long kirtles and wimples around their heads and necks. There were men in short tunics and hoods who I could tell were valets of a noble household.
Other men were in long gowns with high colors and beavery-fur hats, no doubt the signs of a wealthy merchant. Across the marketplace more peasants are leading in their flocks of sheep, or pack horses and carts loaded with crates of chickens.
The crowd was noisy. People were talking so much I almost assumed the whole purpose of the market was to make a lot of noise. This was the commoners market, the public area in the Kingdom where they could meet and exchange information and goods.
I spotted a fishmonger's stall, which had many fresh and preserved fish filling his wet hay-filled crates. There were mackerel, herring, lampreys, cod, eels, and many other fish I couldn't identify. He had barrels at the side marked to hold crabs and lobsters. The food at the fishmonger's stall was priced in silver, the currency used by commoners. One hundred silver would make up a gold coin.
Come to think of it, I didn't know why my storage didn't have any silver in the first place. For cheaper things like food, silver was the currency to use. Yet there was not an ounce of silver within my bracelet. The Dragon System might see it beneath itself to hold silver. It was so greedy for my hard earned gold, I knew this had to be the case.
"Miya how is our store of food now in the carriage?" I asked.
"We have enough preserved food to last for another month," replied Miya.
"Good, I will purchase a bit of fish here for us to have a little more variety in our diet," I said.
I mainly wanted to test my theory of the Dragon System detesting silver. For Daquan not to have any silver, as a noble, wasn't too shocking. However, it was still the lowest domination used for everyday goods. I took out 1 gold coin to purchase a bit of cured fish.
[Vault: 24 Gold, Hoard: 380 Gold]
The merchant handed me a few pieces of cured fish and 20 silver back as change. I tried to put the silver within my tattered bronze storage bracelet and quickly got back a message.
[Dragon Vault cannot store useless currency.]
Haha, I was right. This was hilarious to me. The damn greedy system wouldn't even take silver!
I handed the silver to Miya and stored the fish within my storage bracelet.
Miya and I continued our morning walk to find a place that could purchase my kegs of Potion of Minor Endurance. It was a high gold transaction, so these street vendors and food carts could not afford it. It would have to be a well-off tavern, bar, or potion shop to handle this expensive product.
I would not find a potion shop in the commoner district. I had to search for a tavern or bar that was more illustrious than the one I was staying at. Even if the bartender at the tavern I was staying at could afford it, I wouldn't honor him with my good business because of the way he treated me.
After traveling a bit, we soon came on a spot that fit the bill. 'The Thoughtful Hatchet Pub' was the name of the establishment. It seemed to be the largest bar in the commoner district. It was well maintained and even had a place for nobles to park their carriages. No doubt this place served nobles and commoners alike.
The place had a decent number of clientele populating the pub. To have pub crawlers at the early morning hours was a testament to this place's popularity. They had 2 bartenders working the bar and a few waiters even food to customers.
This was a place I could sell my Potion of Minor Endurance to, I just needed to find someone in charge. I went up to the bar counter to speak to the closest bartender, he was quick to come to serve me.
"How may I assist you today, young noble?" asked the bartender.

Daquan was just minding his own business drinking ice tea when he got hit by Truck-Kun and pushed into a whole new world. He's now a young noble heading off to Mage Academy. What could go wrong? 

What the hell there's nobles? Why are there factions? Dafuq am I supposed to go to magic school for? Man ain't nobody got time for that, I'm just bout to grind with my system.

Discord: https://discord.gg/52yGSsv

There weren’t many pedestrians on Skyfire Avenue, because this was a place where one had to be qualified to be here. It wasn’t just a matter of money. It was also a matter of taste.

Only after one passed through seventeen linked evaluations would one receive the Skyfire Badge. But of course, it would cost money as well. The reason was: ‘Skyfire Avenue Public Maintenance Fund’.

Lan Jue walked out of Zeus, his face returning to its normal, faint smile. The events in the shop apparently hadn’t impacted him at all.

He walked to the opposite side of Skyfire Avenue. There was an ancient, French-style gothic building there.

Tall, sharp towers, arched doorways, stained glass windows depicting stories from the Holy Bible, gothic arches, flying buttresses, slender columns…they produced a light yet lofty sensation, as though one was flying in the sky. The framework provided the entire structure with abundant support and strength, with the directly rising lines contributing to a grandiose and spacious appearance.

Compared to Lan Jue’s Zeus Jewelry Store, this Gothic structure was like a leviathan. In the entire Skyfire Avenue, in fact, it was the most arresting sight.

Pushing open the door and going inside, Lan Jue rubbed some of the stubble on his face. He couldn’t help but let out a hint of a bitter smile. He was about to be criticized again by that strict fellow.

“Jewel Master, you came.” A tall, slender, beautiful young lady, with long golden hair, dressed in an ancient French full-length court dress, came to welcome him. She gave Lan Jue an absolutely proper French curtsey.

Lan Jue nodded at her slightly. “Eva [Yi’wa], hello. Is the Wine Master here yet?”

Eva smiled slightly, displaying those eight pearly white teeth. “He’s here. The Gourmet and the Coffee Master are here as well.”

“Oh?” A hint of surprised delight flashed past Lan Jue’s eyes. “The Gourmet is here as well? That’s wonderful.”

Eva smiled. “I’ll bring you there.”

A luxurious, long French palace table that could easily seat twenty for dinner. Several people were seated next to it. In the head seat, there was an old man who seemed to be in his fifties or sixties. He was dressed in an exquisite French suit, with a wig on his head. He sat there, upright yet graceful, his face very solemn.

On each side of him, there were two others seated as well. One was tall and thin, dressed in a white shirt and a black vest. His short hair was exquisitely done. He was around forty or so, and there was a gentle smile on his face.

The other person was around thirty-five, of ordinary stature. He wore a white suit, and his long golden hair was perfectly brushed, falling from both sides of his temples to his shoulders, dazzling to behold. His eyebrows were quite thick, and his eyes were very large, but in his eyes there was an undisguised hint of laughter, making him look a bit ‘naughty’.

Three men were seated on the other side of the table. An old man, a middle-aged man, and a youngster.

Compared to the three people in the host’s seats, they seemed to be slightly uneasy.

“Hey, is it the evaluation time again today?” Led by the young lady, Eva, Lan Jue arrived at that long table. He pulled a chair next to the man in the white suit.

“Jewel Master, you didn’t shave or comb your hair.” The old man in the head seat said with a frown.

Lan Jue slapped his forehead. “I knew you’d say that. Fine, I’m at fault. Even though I just came because I wanted to show that I’m making changes, and wanted to draw a bit closer to you old fogeys.”

The Wine Master said coldly, “If you are at fault, then you need to accept the punishment. You understand our rules.”

The man in the white suit next to Lan Jue lowered his head, and said in a very ‘cool’ manner, “Support.”

Lan Jue glanced at him sideways, then looked at the Wine Master. “What’s for dinner?”

The lips of the man in the white suit trembled. In the end, he couldn’t refrain from laughing.

The Wine Master laughed as well. “We can talk about what we’ll eat later. Since you are at fault, then you’ll handle the interviews for the next few people. You are more skilled in this regard than I am.”

Lan Jue shook his head. “No. That’ll cost me too much brain power.”

One of the seventeen evaluations in order to be admitted into Skyfire Avenue: Wine.

The Wine Master said, “If the results of your interview are satisfactory to me, tonight’s wine will be on me.”

“Done.” Lan Jue said.

The man in the white suit pursed his lips. “Can’t you be a bit more reserved?”

Lan Jue said calmly, “Then don’t drink.”

The youngster dressed in a black vest on the other side of the man in the white suit spoke for the first time. “Support.”

The man in the white suit said unhappily, “Gourmet, why are you always on his side?”

Gourmet said, “Because he has more taste than you.”

The Wine Master, in the head seat, nodded as well. “He does.”

Lan Jue cast his gaze towards the front. “The three of you, let’s begin. First one.” To him, the opportunity to sample fine wine was something he definitely didn’t want to delay if at all possible.

The face of the old man seated in the first position immediately grew solemn. “Please ask.”

Lan Jue said, “This is the Old Gothic Winery. Do you know where the wine from here comes from?”

The old man clearly had prepared early on. He immediately responded, “The Old Gothic Winery was one of the very first businesses opened on Skyfire Avenue when it was first developed. It engages in the sale of fine wine from various former nations of the previous era. These wines are preserved through spatial technology and can essentially be preserved in the state they were originally in year 2020. Actually, the most valuable thing about them is that once a bottle is drank, a bottle will be gone forever. Thus, the price is extremely high, but the ability to enjoy and sample these ancient wines is the mark of a true noble.”

Lan Jue neither assented nor disputed. He continued, “What is your favorite type of red wine?”

The old man spoke with seemingly great fluency. “Chateau Lafite. An ancient French wine from 1855, from one of the five first class Chatueaus in the Medoc, the Left Bank of the Bordeaux region.”

Lan Jue asked, “If the seven of us were to share a bottle of Lafite today, and you were the host, what would you do? Please explain in detail.”

The old man said, “I would carefully open it, then pour out a tiny bit, look at its color, smell its aroma, then taste it. After verifying that it hadn’t gone bad yet, I would them divide it amongst everyone, so that we can all enjoy this bottle of fine wine.”

“You can leave now.” Lan Jue leaned back against the back of the chair and said calmly.

“I passed?” A look of surprised delight was on the old man’s face.

Lan Jue shook his head. “No. You’ve been eliminated.”

The old man said with surprise, “Why? I didn’t say anything wrong?”

Lan Jue frowned as he spoke. “You’ve just prepared in advance. You don’t actually like wine, nor do you know how to drink. If a bottle of ancient Lafite wine were to be drunk in the manner you described, that would be an absolute waste.”

“Lafite, no matter what year it is from, is stored in a horizontal state. Before drinking it, the very first thing to do is to put it upright and keep it in the wine cellar for three days, allowing it to settle. When opening it, you do indeed have to first test the time, but it isn’t just to test for whether the wine has gone bad or not. The more important thing is to determine the status of the wine through tasting it, and determine how long it needs to be decanted for. One of the most important things for connoisseurs of wine is the question of how long the wine needs to be decanted. A normal bottle of Lafite would need to be poured into the decanter to be decanted for at least two hours. Otherwise, it wouldn’t taste much better than vinegar. It needs time to release its aroma. If you don’t even know that, you clearly don’t know how to drink wine. In fact, you’ve never even drank any fine wine. Thus, stop wasting my time.”

Unwilling to accept this, the old man said, “But the books all say…”

Lan Jue quirked his lips. “The people who wrote about Lafite in your books had never tasted it before. They just were writing based on what they had heard. To immediately uncork a bottle of Lafite and drink it is a form of disrespect to it. To drink it like that, you might as well dump it into a humidifier instead.”


Skyfire Avenue is a street that is 2048 meters long. There are 168 stores here, and each of the store owners is an extremely powerful adept. The Avenue does not permit any vehicles or any robots to pass through it, much less mecha. Even the patrolling police must move about on foot. This is because this is a street for pedestrians, a lane for nobles, hidden away within this high technology world. Lan Jue, the greatest of the mercenaries, code-named ‘Zeus’, has secluded himself here in Skyfire Avenue after the death of his wife. The name of his shop is “Zeus’ Jewelry Store”, and here in Skyfire Avenue, he has been given the title, Jewel Master.

"Tell me what happened and run back the evidence to me."
"Well detective, the woman was seen alive last week on Saturday evening in Spencer's. A man then followed her sneakily and hid behind her car until he attacked. The bruises on her body were from the crowbar he beat her with, even the nail gun he put on her eyes too."
"Any description of the male?"
"Well detective Parker we have no leads on that."
"Go to Spencer's and talk to the manager. Show him the photos that the cameras got and see if he knows who the person is."
"Ok mam."
I drove a few miles to the mall to talk to the manager at Spencer's. This city is so bad, but there's just one guy that keeps making horrific crime scenes and even our police officers can't bare the sight of the murderous scene laid upon them. I grabbed my notepad and headed inside the mall. The mall was beautiful with the lights, and the people interacting with each other was nice, until they see a police officer walk in and then the stares from everyone become dangerous and violent. I was hesitant about becoming a cop, but it was the rush that brought me in and just by doing this for only three years it just exciting. I love my job, but this case won't get solved. It's a huge city with many hidden criminals and past cases show that investigators couldn't solve most crimes. 
I got lost in the mall, it is really big and I just needed to see a Spencer's sign with black everywhere. Then I saw a girl standing near by a store saying "50% off at Spencer's". Well I'm definitely not lost now. I walked past her and went inside. From the looks of it I wasn't gonna enjoy the place. I'm just a twenty-seven year old man not a seventeen year old high schooler. I kept looking around at the t-shirts and mugs that had erotic messages on them, what a shame. How is this business even open to the public? It shouldn't be allowed if I had something to do with it. 
The counter where the register was even had displays of black, gothic items and it gave me the creeps. 
"Hello?" I said into the empty store. 
A guy popped up from behind the counter and said, "Hey, how can I help you today sir?"
I showed him my badge and said, "I need to ask you a few questions, if that's alright with you."
"Yeah, sure."
He told me to follow him in the backroom where a bunch of boxes were stored. Him and I both sat on one and I began questioning him. 
"So sir, I'm going to show you a few pictures and I need you to tell me if you recognize the person."
"Ummmm, ok."
I pulled out five pictures from the file detective Parker gave me. I spread them out on a box in front of us and pointed to each one. 
"This is the store right here. The cam picked up a shot of this man walking inside. Do you recognize the face?"
He stared at it for awhile before answering. 
"No sir."
I pointed to the rest of the pictures that have different angles of his face. The cams do have low quality, but it's possible to make out the face if it was familiar. 
"How about now, does this face look familiar to you sir?"
He kept staring to try to give his best answer but he said, "I'm sorry sir, but I don't know who that is."
"That's ok. Just don't forget this face. If you see him again contact me." I gave him my card and went out of the backroom. I left Spencer's and headed out the door. Detective Parker will be a little disappointed, but she's smart, we'll figure out the case, hopefully.

A man like Vin only preys on women for the kill. But Vin is surrounded by many hardships that his bloody hands can not take. When his ex pops up and his new girlfriend loves all over him, he is face-to-face with a hard decision to make.

It was lunch-break at the school when I saw a couple. These couples were so sweet with each other as they pass right in front of me. I wondered if I'll have a gf. Do I treat her the same as that guy treating her gf well? 

I was just enjoying the view as they were both sweet and clingy with each other. When suddenly, I saw keychains displayed in each of their bags. 

I was thinking, 

'Maybe they also have fantasy keychains or maybe it was them that those hoarders talked about?' 

I need to find out soon. Otherwise, their lives will be in danger..

During lunch-break, my lunchbox was bento style, it somehow has cherries, egg rolls, cabbages, tempura, and rices. It was delicious because my mom also added a separate tupper-ware for kiko man sauce. I got full for the day and now I must get ready for the next subject... Statistics.. 

Statistics for me is quite hard. I can't even imagine myself being a statistician or that maybe I'm really just bad at math. Either way, math is hard but fun to learn. 

After the class, I quickly head-out and started calling Shoto Mamuro and Toki Asano. 

"Hello? Shoto? I met the black swordsman again and he wants to see you too, he also said that he wants to see the rest of your friends such as Toki." 

"Understood, where do I meet him or you?" 

"He said meet him at the park. My class is done for today. So wanna meet first and head to the park all together?" 

"Sure, I guess I'll meet you at the shop then." 

"What shop? Where?"

"At the Gothic 2-Wheel. It's near the convenience store where we first met."

"Ok.. I guess I'll have to just find it myself." 

"Don't worry. Once you see the convenience store, my shop is just right in front of it." 

"Alright then! I'll see you all later!" 

"He meant all of the gang right?" 

"Yeah.. Although I don't know how many you guys are, but I'm sure he meant everyone." 

"Ok ok, understood. See ya." 

We then hung up our phones and at the same time, I started walking to get to that shop that Shoto said. 

As I walked by, I saw the alley where I was attacked and when Ryu showed up. I also passed through the alley where Shoto was being attacked. 

As I searched around, I did remember the alley where my sword suddenly appeared from a keychain. Memories flashed back as I walked pass through those alleys. 

Finally, I saw the convenience store. However, Shoto said that his shop was in front of the convenience store. So if the convenience store is a road away from me which at the same time, in front me, then the shop behind me is... The Gothic 2-Wheel.. 

The shop was somehow covered in red and black. It has a pair of seats and tables. So I'm pretty sure they also serve foods and drinks while it is a motorcycle repair and retail shop. 

I was amazed because their business is pretty good and I see that customers somehow chill in the waiting area while their motorcycles are being repaired. 

I head inside the shop and found Toki. She served as a waitress, but I do believe she's a student right? I mean I know she's younger than me and at the same time, she's more of a junior high-school, but why does she do part-time? Well.. I guess there has to be an explanation.

I waved at her, she then pointed me where Shoto is at. 

"Oh.. It's you.. Go find Shoto in the repair room, he's still quite busy 'cause a new customer just came in." 

"In that case I'll have to just wait here for Shoto then, he might be busy." 

"Sure.. Just don't ask me anything like drinks. I'll kill you."

She said that with piercing look right at me. 

"Uhh.. O-okay, don't worry I won't and I will just sit here. Hehe." 

She then raised her eyebrow and started to look away as she continues serving the customers. 

I was just watching her do her work while wondering, 

'What if I also asked Shoto for a job?' 

Oh well I guess that I'll just ask him next time. 

Shoto then came out of the room with the customer's motorcycle ready. The customer then quickly tried his newly repaired motorcycle and was satisfied. He then payed Shoto then Shoto returned back inside. 

Toki then said, 
"He saw you, he'll be here in a sec or maybe just meet him inside. Either way, we are about to close the shop." 

As I nodded, Toki then put a close sign on the door knob so that no more customers will enter. Toki then asked me to enter the repair room and that we will leave the shop through the backdoor.

"I will now close the shop so you head there first, I'll just follow." 

"Ok, meet you at the alley!"

I quickly head to the repair room and then I saw Shoto, talking to others through phone. I was just in silence until Shoto guided me to the backdoor as we left the shop. 

"Another guy will be coming and will be joining us shortly."

"Oh.. Alright.. Who is this guy again?" 

"I said he'll be joining us shortly, so I'll introduce him to you later." 

"Oh O-Okay.. Okay then.." 

I was just scratching my head as if I'm clueless of who the other guy is. Toki then followed and waited just as I do in the alley. I'm clueless of who this guy is and what is his keychain weapon, what is his name and is he an old friend of Shoto or a new friend? I guess I'll find out soon..

Sooner or later, a car just parked near outside the alley in the street. The car was somehow a sedan with a plain burgundy color and tinted windows. 

Before we get in, Shoto asked me to sit at the back beside Toki because he will introduce him to me. 

As I entered the vehicle, the driver was wearing white long-sleeves and dark blue necktie, with long blue hair in a pony tail style and bangs in front. He looked like an employee or a businessman because he is somewhat not wearing slacks, but rather fitted jeans. He is basically wearing semi-formal clothes. 

Shoto then introduced him to me, "His name is Shiro, Shiro Yamamoto. Shiro meet Eiji, Eiji meet Shiro" 

"Uh, Hey.." I said.

He replied back with a nod as he looked at me through a rear-view mirror.

As our car began to move, they were talking about the black swordsman..

"So this black swordsman you say? Is he with us or he really is a soloist?" 
Toki asked me. 

"I don't know, all I know is that he kills hoarders.." 

Shoto then replied, 
"It's not that he's a soloist, he's just somehow been through a lot and trying to avoid friendly deaths." 

Out of curiosity, I asked Shoto. 

"What's the story between you two?" 

He smiled.

"Ok.. Since you're all here, lemme tell ya a story.. I was just younger when the black swordsman first saved me from a hoarder. I guess around the same age as you Eiji. Back then I wasn't really a beefcake and that I'm just a thin man and a street kid. I stole a sword keychain from a shop that is bigger than any other keychain sword so that I'll be better than any of my friends' sword keychains. However, the night when we were at the dark alley, two guys then suddenly attacked two of my friends. The other was stabbed and the other one had his head sliced-off. Meanwhile, the rest of us tried to run away in fear. However, they manage to quickly pierce my friend's heart.. I was the only one left and at the same time, losing hope that I won't survive and that I will be the one to die next. I was crying and begging them not to kill me when suddenly a guy in black leather coat suddenly sliced the two guys in half. I was just shocked and speechless as I saw him slaughter two guys that killed my friends. As the other guy's upper part of the body fell right in front of me, I quickly then kicked his face and smashed his head with my foot. I was full of anger at that time. The black swordsman then offered his hand and aided me. Then, sooner or later, I get to ask his name and trained me as if I'm his younger brother. However, sooner after that, he decided to disband our friendship and that I must continue on my own for he didn't want to hold any grudges with anyone. I believed that he just didn't want to be attached with anyone so that he can avoid deaths of friends. Ever since he left me, I started building myself, better and better and I did even try to swing my huge sword 200 times a day until I got to my present now. That's just a short story, but somehow you'll get the idea of who really is the black swordsman." 

Toki asked,
"What's the name?" 

"Ryu, Ryu Akimoto.." 

Meanwhile, at the park, Ryu was waiting for almost an hour and looking back and forth at his watch but sooner or later, our car approached and parked at the nearby parking lot. 

As we left the car, Shoto then reminded us to be aware of the environment because even a single bird can serve as a spy for the Hoarders. 

As he said that, I started to remember the birds that were following me yesterday. 

'Are they somehow spies in group of birds? Following me all the way home? Could it be that my home is in danger, especially mom?' 

These things are going through my head as we approached Ryu. 

We all then waved and said hello to Ryu altogether. 

Then, Ryu scolded me, 
"Why didn't you tell me that you will bring another one with you?" 

"I um.. I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you, I guess.." 

Shoto then saved me. 

"H-hey, no worries, at least we're all here now right? By the way, why haven't you changed at all? You still have the same look as before Ryu.." 

"Shoto? Is that you? I uh.. I can't believe that you grew that big.." 

"I had improvements.." 

"Hahaha. I see, so! Are you guys ready?"

We all asked at the same time,
"Ready for what?" 

He then smiled combined with a piercing look.

"To kill our killers.."

What if you bought a keychain, resembling a weapon from a fictional fantasy you like, becomes real. What would you do?

After the death of his best-friend, Miki Ebisawa. Eijiro Suguha, who is a 3rd year high school student, tried to find an answer on why his best-friend was mysteriously killed the day after they went to hangout. Unfortunately, what he finds out instead is the sacred truth about his keychain and the secret society around him.

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