Blake Elliott has been abused since he's had memories.
his only release was the freedom he felt when talking to his only friend about comic books, he loved reading about the superpowers heroes running unobstructed through life doing what they were born to do.

until one day when he and his friend are crossing the street talking reading a Spiderman comic when he hears a loud honk and instinctually shoves his friend backwards.

Brother Wolf stopped him. Li Du waved and said, "Don't hurry, Sean, first explain the origin of this jewelry."
Sean acted calm and said, "There's nothing to explain. I doubt this guy is really Cole Winston. Why should I believe you?"
Cole smiled when he heard this. "I can show you my license, but I expect that when you see it, you will question whether it's real or not."
Sean was clearly losing face. The situation had spun out of control. Who could expect things would turn out so?
Li Du did not press the matter. He knew the evidence was in his favor.
He switched off the call and said to Sean, "I won't make a scene, but these jewels were either stolen from Harry Winston group, or they are limitation infringing on our patent rights and intellectual property rights. Our group reserves the right to pursue this matter."
Sean was a bit flustered and said, "You can't scare me. There is nothing wrong with the jewelry I bought."
Li Du smiled and said, "If you say so. I hope you can prove it when our lawyer and the police contact you."
He handed the jewelry back to Sean, who tried to pass it to Ariana.
Ariana already knew what was going on. Why would she accept such a gift? "I don't know where you got this. You'd better return it…"
Sean looked at her angrily and said, "Don't you believe me?"
Ariana did not know what to say and looked to the others for help.
Hans gave Porter a push and Porter moved in front of Ariana.
He wasn't afraid of Sean. He just didn't know what to do next.
Since he was pushed out to face Sean, however, he calmly said, "Come on, man, Ariana's right. You'd better return these jewels where they came from"
Sean took the opportunity to leave. He shouted, "Fine, you do not trust me! You don't think of me as a friend! I guess I was blind, so f*ck you!"
Cursing, he quickly walked out of the villa.
In this way, the atmosphere of the birthday party was destroyed. Li Du apologized to Ariana and then told her that he had to do it, or she would have accepted the jewelry and might have got in trouble.
Porter took out his gift, presented it to Ariana and said, "I have tickets for the Heat's opener and Christmas day. I remember you like the Heat, so how about if we go to the game together?"
Ariana graciously accepted the ticket, smiled and gave Porter a hug.
The young people clapped their hands and made happy noises. Then they began to dance again, which restored the atmosphere of the birthday party in a large measure.
Li Du had nothing to do with the rest of the matter. He stayed out of the way, waiting for the party to end.
However, his identity meant he could not quite stay out of it. Several girls took an immediate interest in him when they learned that he was a shareholder in the Harry Winston group.
Li Du chatted and had drinks with them, but when they wanted to exchange contact information, he would politely but firmly refuse.
Hans strolled up from behind and said sourly, "Now who should be quiet? Who is messing with girls at the party?"
Li Du did not know quite know how the party started, but after Sean left, Porter felt much better, and his relationship with Ariana was much closer.
At the end of the evening, Porter sent off the guests, and they got down to business.
Hans took out the 25 valuable comics, of which five were most valuable: Superman's first Action Comic #1, Stan Lee's hand-painted Fantastic Four, the first edition of Spiderman, and two DC and Marvel combined product comics which introduced the first batch of heroes.
Twenty other magazines also had considerable value, being rare or having special significance in the history of comic books.
Porter couldn't put a price on the magazines, so the next day he contacted one of the industry's leading experts to consult with him.
Li Du was in no hurry. They stayed in the villa, which belonged to Porter's family anyway.
Porter brought in an expert from New York whom Li Du didn't know but had recently read about.
The name of the expert was Pressler, and he was the editor-in-chief of Wired Comics, the company that bought the first issue of the Spiderman magazine in Paris for 1.2 million dollars.
Pessler, a soft-spoken middle-aged man, talked quietly with Porter, made phone calls and evaluated the comic books.
The two men discussed this for about an hour and a half and then handed Li Du and Hans a report with their quotes for the magazines.
The highest price they offered was three million dollars for a hand-drawn copy of the Fantastic Four and four million for four other high-value magazines, or one million for each on average.
Of the other twenty magazines, there was a set of twelve magazines from the early days of Captain America. They sold for a total price of one million dollars. The package deal was eight million and four hundred thousand dollars.
Li Du was prepared for a good offer but was still shocked by these numbers.
Hans bargained with Porter and got a rounded up price of nine million as the final transaction price.
The contract was signed and the business was done. Li Du could now say what was on his mind. "Did not expect these comic books to be so expensive!"
Porter said, "As far as I'm concerned, I can't believe jewelry and gemstones are so expensive. It depends on the market. If there is a market, there is a price. Classic comics are in the same place as famous paintings and jewelry because they are all unique and can bring pleasure to people," he added.
Li Du spread out his hands, meaning to say, whatever you want, you pay for it.
"Can you get more comics from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s?" Porter asked.
Li Du shook his head and said, "I can't promise."
"The 1930s through 1950s were the golden age of comic book publishing in the United States," Porter said with a sigh. "Unfortunately, almost all comic books published at that time disappeared. I hope they can be carefully collected."
Li Du said, "You can give me a list, and I'll let you know if we come across any more comics."
Porter said, "If you find any more vintage comics, you have to promise you'll call me before you talk to anyone else. My comic book store needs more babies."


They love gold, and they love silver. Even more so, they love gems that dazzle, like stars across the skies. 
Firearms, jewelleries, and precious metals; A collector’s world will not be complete without antiques.  
Storage auctions, old goods trade, re-estate sales and gold-digging. But the truth is, if one wants to make money, then the supreme way is through searching for the legendary treasures. 
Holding the fort, there’s an ocelot, a wolf, and an Andes condor. At the side, there’s a loyal hound, an irascible ape, and an African honey badger. Who said that you can only rely on humans when treasure hunting?! 

CALLEA'S eyebrows were drawn together as she walked down the living room. She had been trying to recover from the days she had to entertain Deive's grandfather and her own family and she wanted to catch up with work. Surprisingly, she got along just fine with Don Jorje. He liked old jazz and her piano pieces. He was also into history so they had a lot to discuss. He asked her to visit him in Manila.

She thought she could have a peaceful time for herself since Deive went to the field to help out Torque with harvesting vegetables. He needed to impress her cousin. And since Lee is a financial analyst, he would ask for his help on business as well.

She didn't expect any visitors coming for her. Then she saw who was sitting on the sofa. It was her publisher, Mattheu Segundo. She noticed a black box on the middle of the mahogany center table. She had a bad feeling about this.

He came towards her as she reached the landing. "Finally! I thought you have no plans to see me. How's my most bankable graphic novelist?" he asked and kissed the back of her hand.

Her boss was a handsome and dashing man. A dreamboat for most women. He was a member of Stallion Island Riding and Leisure Club like her cousins where only the rich and young men in the country could join as members like her Torque and Lee. That was why they entrusted her works to him. She knew that she would be taken care of and her identity would be a secret.

"I am good. Thanks for the visit. So what brought you here, boss?"

Callea never visited the office. They just send the check to her bank account and her accountant handle all her accounts. Contacts were sent to her through a courier. She had just submitted her latest book last month. She beat her deadline. Her next deadline was still months away. The renewal of her contract was still a couple of years away. If her publisher would grace her with his presence himself, it must be freakin' important. She was wishing that he was there to increase her talent fee.

"I just visited you. I brought cake and some books on Japanese horror. Vintage ones." There was the sparkle in her boss' eyes as he opened the box. Her heart leaped when I saw the yellowish cover with Japanese ink and an illustrator of a Japanese girl in kimono with blazings eyes, standing in the middle of a bamboo forest. It was something she had never seen before that made her salivate.  It was a forbidden book, according to some. And her boss acquired it for her. "This is for me? This is too much, boss. You know that I am happy that you publish my stories and people appreciate it."

It was too precious as a gift. There was no malice between her and the boss. After all, he only sees her as a cash cow. She was scared of what he would ask in return. It was always business with her boss. There was no such thing as free lunch.

Then came Marina with a green tea crepe cake. She wet her lips. Darn! Her boss knew her weakness and how to put her guard down. They ate while they discussed the comic conference in Tokyo that he attended and how spring came earlier than expected and they nearly missed the sakura blossom.

It was a dream of Callea to visit Japan. She was planning to go there with her friend until her demise.

"I have a favor to ask, Callea." Mattheu's voice sent her back to the present.

"What is it, boss?"

He greased her with a vintage Japanese horror book and a matcha crepe cake. She was ready to listen. Her boss was a wolf. Pretending to be grandma until he shows his fangs. And she knew that she couldn't say no.

"I want you to attend our book signing."

An arranged marriage to a perfect bride.

To keep him in line, playboy Deive Hontiveros needs to marry Callea Lopez so he could start his own business. He thought he got lucky when he sees how beautiful and caring Callea is.

She lives in a haunted mansion though and he got plagued by a mysterious ghost of a woman and her cat from hell.

He must protect his bride at all cost. 

But what if Callea is one with the darkness?


Original cover design by Runa Lee 
For cover designs, email lunafatima1093@gmail.com

As per Xu Mey's request or order, Ye Jie gave her the passcode to his house and she brought the interior designers and other workers to work their magic. She needed to turn the vacant room into her office. To achieve the task, she always brought the workers when Ye Jie was in the office.

It was true that Xu Mey had an Arts degree but a very few people in her circle knew that she was a Jewellery Designer who owned a famous Jewellery brand in Asia. The company was not that bog but every single jewelry piece of it was recognized as precious. Also, the company had a rule; they only designed limited pieces which were sold at an enormous amount. She worked like a crazed person to achieve the goal of turning her jewelry into a Brand recognized by the world. 

She turned 28 this year but she couldn't remember a single time when she actually went on a vacation. All her foreign tours were for the sake of her business. The only time she felt relaxed was whenever she was in the company of her friends. They made her feel secure. They brought the feeling of being loved and doted on. If anyone would ask Xu Mey, 'What is love?' Her answer would be 'Her best friends.'

In the following days, whenever Ye Jun came across her, he had a pleasant grin plastered on his face. He tried to please Xu Mey in every way possible but neither she showed interest in his diamond-encrusted bracelet from Vintage nor the limited designer dress of Phantom. 

What the poor guy didn't know was that the bracelet he offered her was designed by herself, Vintage was her Brand name. While the limited dress he gave her was designed by Lin Shen's girlfriend, Sun Ju who was the owner of Phantom Brand. 

It took a week of work but her office was finally ready according to her wishes. On the weekend, she dropped by at Ye Jie's place again to show him the office design. But another tenacious person followed suit, Ye Jun. 

"Jun, you've been spending a lot of time at my place lately," Ye Jie told his brother when he saw him trailing behind Xu Mey. 

"Why? Can't I come to my brother's place?" Ye Jun asked with a bleak look. Ye Jun came inside the house moved ahead to hug Xu Mey. "Sister-in-law! Look I baked a cake for you with my own hands, today." Seeing him getting closer to Xu Mey, Ye Jie came between the two and hugged his younger brother while patting his back with a little extra force.

Ye Jun rubbed his back after escaping from his brother's clutches and glared at him. Then his expression took a 180 degree turn when his gaze fell on Xu Mey. She was standing in a corner amused by the antics of the Ye brothers. Ye Jun stretched his hand which had a glass box with a chocolate cupcake inside towards her.

"Thanks for the cake." She took the cake from him with a polite smile and added, "Don't make this again, I don't like sweet things." Ye Jun's face fell but it turned into a grin after listening to her next words. "But I'll eat this one for sure." She took a small bite of the cupcake in front of him.

She realized in a week that people's perception of Ye Jun was completely wrong. He was not a rude or narcissistic person instead he was like a big baby. From no angle, he looked like an accomplished PR Departments Head.

"Let me show you the office," Xu Mey held Ye Jie and Ye Jun's wrist excitedly and dragged them towards the back room. Her excitement was understandable, no one ever said to her 'This is your place, do whatever you want' before. She was grateful to Ye Jie for giving her a place to call home for the first time. Whether it was permanent or temporary, she pushed that thought to the back of her head.

She opened the door to display the black and white decor of the office. There were racks filled with comic books and Magazines along with novels and a whole row was covered with books of Chinese poetry. There was a laptop placed on the table along with stacks of sheets and pencils of different kinds. But the thing that caught both brothers eyes was the huge picture hanging on a side wall. 

It was a picture clicked on a mountaintop, Xu Mey was in the middle of four boys who were ruffling her hair like a kid and her face held the broadest smile, Ye Jie had ever seen. Looking at the way both of them were expressionless after seeing the picture, Xu Mey explained, "They are my closest best friends. Actually no, they are more like the love of my life." Listening to her saying, 'love of my life' both of the clenched their fists. "They are not in the city but I'll introduce you to them at the wedding."

Both brothers shared a look and silently made a pact to give them a hard time. Xu Mey was not aware of their evil schemes, if she knew, she would have kicked both of them where the sun doesn't shine.

Ye Jie's housekeeper had cooked the dinner and they sat together to share a meal. During the meal, Ye Jun asked, "Sister-in-law, who is planning the wedding?"

"Your parents and Xu family," She didn't call Xu family her own family but Ye Jun didn't catch that mishap but Ye Jie definitely did. She looked at her indifferent look but didn't say anything.

"But the wedding is yours. Why are you not deciding anything?" He was really curious about it. Usually, girls loved to plan their dream day but Xu Mey was talking as if the wedding was of a stranger. "Don't you have a dream wedding in mind?"

"I didn't even have the idea of a wedding in mind. Why would I have a dream wedding? If it was left to me, I would love to marry in Civils Affair Office and be done with it. I hate the idea of people looking at me like I'm some kind of showpiece." She was eating her food nonchalantly but Ye Jun was gaping at her. Ye Jie was getting familiar with her out-of-box ways which made it easier to take this information as any other news.

"I hope my wife liked the arrangements... for the wedding night."

His low husky voice made her heart skip a beat. She tried to walk away from his reach but to her dismay, he held her wrist in his hand. She licked her lips.

He pulled her wrist and her body crashed into his broad chest. 

Trying to calm her breathing, Xu Mey looked up at his face to say something but couldn't do it.

Ye Jie was pleased with her transfixed countenance. He lowered his face towards her. Inadvertently, Xu Mey took a step back. 

They continued with a step back and a step ahead until Xu Mey's legs felt the edge of the bed behind. 

There was a haughty smirk playing on Ye Jie's lips. He lowered his face again towards her. Xu Mey bent her body backwards but she lost her footing making both of them fall on the comfy bed.

As she laid on her back with Ye Jie's body pressing on her own, gazing at his handsome face inches away from her own with his piercing gaze penetrating her soul, she realized she had no ability to push him away. 

She wanted to get him off her body. She wanted to stay far away from him. But she couldn't do it. His face was so close that his breath tingled her. 

When his soft thin lips touched her cherry plump ones, her mind was electrified. He softly nibbled on her lower lip, sucking it slowly. The kiss was not urgent or passionate. It was just a simple kiss which displayed a gentle but sincere feeling. 
---------

What do you do when your family abandons you? Do you start to hide? 

Xu Mey wasn't the one to hide. The only thing she hid from the world was her real self. Seemingly, a timid girl was terrifying inside but only a few knew about it. 

She was running for revenge. For every wound that she received, she had a burning desire to pay back ten folds.

Ye Jie was heartbroken. He had a perfect life for the world but only he knew what he was trying to hide even from himself. 

At first, Xu Mey was just his interest. A girl who popped up in his life out of nowhere and yet wreaked havoc.

But he soon realized that she had walls built around her heart keeping the world at bay. 

Losing love once felt enough to him but with a certain someone's appearance, a lot is intended to bring a change.
What will happen when she'll alter his idea of love? 
Will he be able to shatter the thick walls around her heart? 
Or,
She'll shatter him?

Life shattered her into pieces. Will his love be able to pick up those broken pieces?
*********
This is an original work and not a translation. All rights reserved!
~~~~~~
Other works from the Author:
 "The inconceivable Flame: A Fallen Angel's Disguise"
"Imperfect Desires"
~~~
Join Discord Channel:
https://discord.gg/pxpTjqr

Camden's eyes light up immediately as he sees his friends. What with all the suffocation of the obligation to attend family gatherings from the group, none were successfully able to stay in contact with one another during break. 

Stewart had now been sporting a new hair cut. Something he's been wanting to try for a while now. A drastically large change from the usual fuck-boy haircut he had. 

The 16 year old now sported a military like buzz cut. A neat clean cut with perfect symmetry. It was clear to all the boys that it was not Stewart who cut his own hair. Symmetry was not something that Stewart was at all known for. 


"Welcome back Ghost boy, have fun with the family? " Antonio said, relaying the message in a thick Italian accent. Nathaniel chuckled slightly while still looking down at his vintage TMNT comic.

 "Truly terrible. If I have to hear my stupid mother say 'it's for the good of the family or do this for your family' one more time! I swear I'll slit her throat." Camden spoke in an agitated manner. Jeremy fixed his tie while solomy nodding. He too understood the pressures that were often thrusted upon them. 

At such a young age, acting like normal commoner children was never an option. Never could they just play outside and not have a care in the world. This was the only luxury the four boys could never afford. 


"I heard that we have a new Art professor. Something happen to the old one." Nathaniel said as he tucked the comic into his gym bag. The other three boys looked at him serenely. 

"You're joking right?" Jeremy finally spoke up. "Um dude you happened. You laid into that lady. Something about she wasn't fit to teach us art and blah blah this and blah blah that. it was a lot of art nerd nonsense a football player like me didn't understand. " 

Jeremy poked Nathaniel's chest while smiling widely. Nathaniel was the reason alot of art professor's quit the famed school. He simply wouldn't allow just anyone to teach him the arts. It had to be someone as magical and magnificent as the great Leonardo Da Vinci. 

"I just told that wench the truth. Not my fault if that bitch cried. After all. This is a man's world. She's not fit to be in it if she cries over a teenager critiquing her infernal abilities. Truly a waste of space if you ask me" 

Camen let out a hearty chuckle as he observes his friends. These were his best friends and never does he want to part from them. "Let's head to the dorms guys. " He said as he pushes open the large mahogany doors. "Man... it's feels great to be back".

At a prestigious school in England, 5 boys make a conspiracy to commit murder. Jeremy Corbyn, a British rich boy, Stewart Prescott, an American genius, Nathaniel Greenhouse, a Greek Picasso, Camden Howard, a southern playboy and Antonio Calcino an Italian wannabe gangster. Their victim... the Principal's daughter.

Seeing how her tactic worked in getting a smile from Nora, Xiu tried once again saying, "Do you know I can jump higher than a tree."
"Huh? No, you can't," replied Nora stubbornly.
"Of course, I can!" said Xiu with conviction.
"How's that possible?" asked Nora while crossing her arms before her chest in a challenging manner.
Xiu pinched her cheeks and said, "Because trees can't jump, idiot! Haha!" 
Her burst of laughter made Nora roll her eyes at her as she nudged her lightly and said, "If you didn't give up on such lame jokes, I'm gonna kill you."
"Such a bad temper!" grumbled Xiu like an annoyed kid.
Just as they were goofing around, they heard the sound of door unlocking and looked at each other with a horrified look as Xiu pushed Nora and whisper yelled, "Get your dumb ass to the shower. If your mother saw you like this, it won't end well."
Nora nodded her head and ran towards her room while Xiu cleared Nora's browsing history before shutting down the laptop. It was never a good idea to let Clara Cartwright know that her only daughter had been shopping for fun. And it didn't take a genius to know that only Nora's mother had access to their apartment.
As Clara entered through the door, she found Xiu sitting with a magazine in her hand. She eyed Xiu as she placed the food basket in her hand on the table and said, "My little Xiu, why are you reading it upside down?"
"What?" Xiu closed her eyes and bit her tongue as she realized how she had been holding her magazine upside down. 
"Something's on your mind?" asked Clara as she caressed Xiu's head and sat beside her. Xiu shook her head and snuggled in the warmth that she felt around a mother figure. "If everything is fine, why are you acting like a clingy baby? Not that I don't like it but you rarely act like this." She tucked Xiu's hair behind her ear and added, "Wait for a second, how come you're up so early? I thought Saturdays don't even exist for you since you always end up sleeping till Sunday."
Xiu pursed her lips as she didn't know what to say to that. She indeed always skipped Saturday. "Well, Clara mom... You can say that I have had the best sleep in years last night."
Clara raised her brows in question at her and asked, "Did you finally try my aromatherapy?"
Xiu thought back how she nuzzled up against Darren and felt calm in the presence of his overwhelming and peculiar scent. A smile formed on her lips as she replied, "It's definitely aromatherapy. Worked like a charm."
Clara eyed her suspiciously but didn't say anything as she got up to set the table with breakfast dishes she had brought with herself. "Clara mom, why did you make so much?"
"Felt like doing it," replied Clara with a shrug of her shoulders nonchalantly.
"Were you stressed over some case? Because you love doing stress cooking," said Xiu in an obvious way and Clara ended up nodding. Xiu shook her head but didn't say anything since she herself loved to do baking whenever she was feeling down.
While Clara was setting up the table, she suddenly realized that there was a person missing around her. "Xiu, where is that no good daughter of mine."
Xiu wasn't surprised at how Clara called Nora as a 'no good daughter' but rather she was surprised at the consistency of these insults. "She's taking a shower."
"For this long?" asked Clara and shook her head in disappointment saying, "This girl is really giving me a lot of stress these days."
"I don't give you stress, you love taking the stress all on your own," came Nora's voice who stood at the entrance of the kitchen with an unamused look. "Besides, I'm old enough to take care of myself. Why do you worry for no reason?"
Clara pulled Nora's ear and said, "I'm your mother. If I won't worry about your future who else will? Would the neighbors come to worry about it?"
"They might," replied Nora but ended up screaming in pain when her ear was pulled with even more force. "Mom, stop it. It hurts."
Clara let go and sat down at the dining table with Xiu. Nora also silently took a seat while rubbing her ear which had been assaulted by her own mother. While the conversation over the breakfast was really simple and light, Clara suddenly said, "I recently read in a study that people who take long and hot showers are actually lonely inside and they try to add warmth in life with hot showers."
Nora looked down at her skin which was still red from her long hot shower and said, "Okay mother. I wasn't expecting to be attacked on a personal level."
"When did I attack you? I was just sharing my knowledge with you since you'd never pick up a book to read on your own." There it was another attack on Nora making her want to shrink or vanish from mother's sight.
"Mom, what really brought you to our humble abode so early on a Saturday morning?" Nora tried to stir away from the topic of conversation to avoid further verbal attacks from her mother.
"Early? Darling, it's 10 o'clock in the morning. How is that early?" asked Clara strangely.
"Mom, that's not the point here," Nora said or more like whined.
Clara got up from her seat as she said, "I was cleaning your old room which you both used to share back in high school and found some stuff. I thought I should bring it to you."
Now that got both Xiu and Nora's attention as they looked at Clara expectantly. With a paper bag in hand when Clara came back towards them, she pulled out a vintage wooden box that had 'Destiny' carved on the lid. She passed the wooden box to Xiu and said, "That's the only thing of yours that I found. And since you always kept this box close, I thought it might be important." 
Xiu eyed the box strangely before taking it from her and looking it up and down. Then Clara passed the paper bag to Nora saying, "That's your collection of comic books, I really wanted to burn it but your father got in the way."
Nora hugged the paper bag like a baby and said, "Mom, how can you even say that? These are my babies."
Clara slapped her head saying, "Idiot! This is your age to think about your real babies!"
While the mother and daughter were busy with another argument, Xiu's whole concentration was on the box in her hand. It felt weird holding it in her hand. 


"Are you looking for your Mr. Right?"

"Why would I wait for him? Mr. Right is lost on his way."

He quirked his brow at her answer with a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

"Then what are you doing?" He questioned in amusement.

She placed both her hands on his chest and pushed his masculine body against the wall taking him by surprise.

Her honey-brown eyes blinked at him with mischief dancing in them as she planted a firm kiss at his jaw and said, "I'm planning on taking advantage of Mr. Right Now!"

His eyes widened dramatically in disbelief. Before his eyes darkened with desire and passion. 

He placed his hands on her small waist and she could feel the heat of his big hands through the flimsy fabric of her shirt.

His head leaned ahead as he whispered close to her ear, "Feel free to take whatever you want." 

She felt his hot tongue licking her earlobe making her heart to beat erratically.
~~~~~

Chen Xiu; known as Ms. Goody-two-shoes. A Superstar who was said to have it all which made her the center of hatred and envy as well.

Little did anyone knew that the same Superstar had to nurse her own wounds in the silence and darkness of night where no one was looking.

But for how long could she hold on for? Eventually, she decided to end her own misery and ended her life in the darkness of night, her only companion.

Having woken up in a new body and at a new place wasn't something she could ever believe in. At least, not until she became Bai Xiu out of the blue.

The day she thought to be her last became her first as a second chance awaited her. But whether this new chance was a blessing or disaster, it was hard to tell since she was trapped in a new body with a new life with the shackles of only her old memories.

New life or a new curse? What really awaited her? The same disappointing silence of the night or was there someone calling out her name desperately at the end of the tunnel? Were sparks meant to fly in her heart or the fire in her heart was meant to burn her whole? Was this leap of faith gonna make her fall on her face or was she meant to fly the horizon?

The new life brought a lot of questions. But the answer was simple...

You would never know until you give it a shot!
~~~
This is an original novel by Xiao MeeHee. All rights are reserved to the author.
Thank You! 
~~~
Other Novels by the author: 
"Mr. CEO Loves The Devilish Beauty"
"The Inconceivable Flame: A Fallen Angel's Disguise"
~~~
Join the Discord Channel:
https://discord.gg/pxpTjqr

Milton Graves grew up a happy child, at least for the first few years of his life. His parents, Todd and Lucy, were hard working but they spoiled Milton to no end. They loved him and he loved them and their days were filled with love, happiness, and prosperity. Milton was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with his parents.
They shared with him their love of comic books and thus he was introduced to a whole other world. A world full of people and otherworldly beings with amazing and frightening abilities, skills, and gadgets. The happiness that came from having the comic books and sharing those worlds with Milton made Todd and Lucy the happiest they had ever been. However, the world isn't all sunshine and fucking rainbows.
Lucy had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer around the time she had become pregnant with Milton. She had been asymptomatic for years, but the symptoms started to appear after a few years and her health went on a decline. Todd attempted to stay strong for Milton's sake and even looked at getting Milton more comic books to read.
Then, the time had come for Lucy to go. Milton was heartbroken, but Todd...
Todd was destroyed due to losing Lucy.
He drank bottles upon bottles but he never touched Milton. Milton was a smart kid and he knew that if he didn't fix his dad then he would lose him too.

"Dad, I need to talk to you."

Milton got his father's attention away from all the booze and TV.

"Hey sport, what's up?"

Milton took a deep breath and with all the air in his lungs he yelled with all the courage he could.

"Get up of your lazy ass and do something with your life you deadbeat piece of shit!!!!!"

Todd was taken aback by what his 8 year old son had said. The first thing that caught him off guard was that his young son had used such profanity and the second thing was that he had no idea how to respond to those words. He thought for a minute and came up with a response.

"Milton, where did you hear those words?"

Milton looked at his dad and without skipping a beat he replied with.

"Xbox Live."

Todd muttered under his breath, 'Those damn video games.' He then looked back at his son and asked what he had in mind on how to occupy his time.
Milton ran to the office and came back pushing a large box with some numbers written on the side. Todd saw the box and recalled what was in it, the start to his comic book collection.

"Well dad, since you love comic book why not open a store?"

Todd thought about the idea for a sec and realized that with all of the new games that had been surfacing in various game stores. He also knew that the nearest game store was about 600 miles away. The town they lived in had a decent sized population and there were a few other towns nearby that had moderate populations. So Todd put down his bottle, cleaned up his act and showed his son the idea for the gaming hub that would reach thousands.

Todd and Milton began looking for the perfect place to host their shop. After looking at a few different locations, they settled on a larger space that had many unsuccessful businesses. The landlord was hesitant to make a deal with Todd as the other businesses had been more common place and had failed to prosper so what hope did a game shop have. Luckily, Todd had been a businessman and convinced the landlord to let them stay for a year and if they failed then they would move out. 

Todd made sure to get all of his documentation in order and began to order their inventory and decorations. Within three months, Todd and Milton had successfully opened their store, the Graveyard. The Graveyard had a slow opening but as word spread of the game store people flocked to it from all over the county and even some from other counties. 

"Wow dad, we did it. People can enjoy all their hobbies and we can share our hobbies with other people."

Todd hadn't seen Milton smile so much since his wife had been alive but he knew that if it wasn't for Milton, he would never have been so lucky to have this dream come true. The piece de resistance for the store was a comic book that was put in a special shadow box for all to admire. The comic was old, almost 100 years old, but it was the most expensive item in the store because of how rare it was. Many customers had offered to buy the comic but Todd had all turned them down.

Milton was told long ago, "No matter what happens Milton, promise me you won't ever sell that comic. It's very important to me and one day it will be yours. That comic is the only one of its kind."

Milton never forget those words as a kid and he remembered them into his teens. The popularity of the Graveyard also grew as Milton had and he soon felt the effects of it on the town. The last name Graves was well known throughout the town, the county and even the state. People had poured so much money and time into the Graveyard that many businesses even paid Todd to advertise some of the businesses in the shop. 

Todd, being the businessman that he was, couldn't say no and this allowed for more funding to be brought into the Graveyard which allowed for events, like MtG tournaments and charity events, to take place. Milton also became popular in the store because puberty had hit him pretty hard. He had always been on the taller side as well as being built like a twig but his love of comic books inspired him to be look like a super hero. He started training intensely and he grew taller, by his senior year of high school he was 6'5" and around 240 lbs. 

"Hey Milton, are you gonna stay after school and play some rugby on the pitch?"

"Nah, not today. I gotta go help out at the Graveyard."

"Alright, catch ya later Tombstone."

Tombstone, the ever so popular nickname that the students had given Milton due to his association with the Graveyard and his size. Milton had become well liked by his peers and he had learned about business from helping his dad run the store. The store had been expanded three times and almost covered an acre of land. Milton had become somewhat of a poster boy for the store and had even dressed up as some superheroes for kids birthday parties. He had never mind it because he knew that he was spreading joy and laughter to those around him.

While Milton had been an athlete and got good grades in school, he always knew that he wanted to help his dad run the store full time. The store was successful but it had a few issues. The store was in a very prime location to build a large business office on and many CEOs had come to Todd and offered him large sums of money to buy the store and all the land it came with. However, Todd made a promise to himself, Milton and his deceased wife that he would never sell the store to anyone. Milton had taken the same oath and swore upon his mother's grave that he would never sell the store. However, there was another issue with the store in the form of a comic book. 

Actually, it was the comic book. That rare comic book had been discovered a plethora of collectors who wanted it and tried many different ways to get it. Todd has poured a lot of many just to protect it and collectors had stopped for awhile but he knew one day that they would try to get it. The last issue was a man named Stick. Stick had gone to pawn shops and several book stores to buy comic books and then try to flip them at the Graveyard. However, Todd and Milton knew if a comic book was worth any money and Stick would always complain about how unfair they were. Stick was a notorious drug addict and he always tried to make enough money for his next fix.
A/N: Sorry for using this troupe but you know the story goes.
One day Stick was over all the bullshit that Todd and Milton had put him through and he decided enough was enough. He came in one day with a stack of comics and what looked like a game books. 

"What can I help you with this time Stick?"

"Oh nothing much, say did I ever tell you how I got my nickname?"

"No, I don't thin-"


Todd made the classic comic book mistake of never reading between the lines as Stick had stuck Todd with a butterfly knife. Milton wasn't at the store yet as he was on his way from school. As Stick hopped the counter to break into the cash register he heard the door chime.

'Ding ding'

"Hey dad, I'm here. Did we get that new pack of Yugioh cards yet?"

Milton then saw the scene that was ripped straight from the comics he loved. His father was lying on the floor bleeding out and Stick was trying to open the register. Then, all Milton saw was red and sprinted towards the register. His massive hand went for Stick's throat and Milton pulled him over the counter.

"You sick fucking little piece of shit. What did you do to my dad?!"

"H-hi M-milton, I-i was just trying to sell some comics."

"Don't play that bullshit with me. If he doesn't make it through this, then you're gonna change your name to Thomas Wayne."

Milton let the druggy go and called 911. While Milton was trying to save his dad, Stick ran out the back, down the side alley and was never heard from again. Sadly, Todd succumbed to his wound at the hospital and the whole town closed down to mourn the loss of the man who had strengthened their community. The landlord cut a deal with Milton that the rent would be taken care of and the other store owners in the town had actually pitched in to help support the store. Milton had been offered a free ride by many colleges for his academics and athletics but he turned them all down so he could run the Graveyard.

7 years later...

Milton had graduated high school and took over the Graveyard. It certainly hadn't died in popularity and while the customer base had changed a bit it was still a hangout for many comic book lovers.

"Harley Quinn is the best supervillain in Batman's rogues."

"Bitch please, Catwoman is the best. She would easily beat Harley Quinn."

Both of the young boys, Julius and Thomas ran to Milton in order to settle their argument.

"Milton, who's better Catwoman or Harley Quinn?"

"Well boys, its actually a suggestive question. It's really a matter of who you think is better. Plus other people's opinions about your favorite things don't mean shit."

"Wow."

"But you're both wrong, Poison Ivy is the best."

Before both boys had the chance to argue, Milton pointed to the live sized cardboard cut out of Pamela Isley aka Poison Ivy. The boys looked at each other and found the owners logic quite sound. 
'Oh the naivety of children, how I miss it.'

Milton had managed to stay strong and persevere in maintaining the Graveyard for the past 7 years on his own. He hadn't hired any employees because he found it hard to trust people and he wanted to maintain his father's legacy. He had put on weight since he had graduated and taken over the story but he was still plenty strong. However, there was someone watching the store. Watching and waiting for the perfect moment.

Later that night...

Milton was closing up the Graveyard for the night when the door chime went off.

'Ding ding'

"Sorry, we're closing up for the night."

"You can't even stay open for an old friend?"

'That voice, it can't be.'

"Stick, you finally showed your little rat ass back here."

When Milton turned around to face the murderer something caught his eye. A glass bottle with a rag sticking out of it in one hand and a lighter in the other.

"Stick, put that fucking bottle down now or I will break your neck."

"C'mon Milton, you think I didn't learn anything from all those comic books? Whenever the parent dies, always make sure to kill the kid so they can't take revenge."

While Milton didn't look athletic anymore, he was plenty fast and he rushed Stick. However, Stick was smart and flicked his lighter. The next thing that was seen was the glass bottle with a flaming rag go up in the air and Milton slamming Stick into the ground. It all happened so quickly but Milton was strangling Stick with his bare hands as the bottle fell to the ground. When Stick's breath finally stopped, Milton was too late as the bottle hit the ground and the store started to burn. The fire extinguisher was in the back room and by the time Milton had gotten it, the fire was far too big to extinguish. The only thing he could think of was the comic. Milton scrambled to get his drill and remove the shadow box from the wall. 

When the comic was finally free, Milton turned towards the door but the fire had gotten so crazy that there was no escaping through the front doors. Milton ran towards the back door but he forget that he had already locked it. The only Milton could do was go to the ground in the fetal position and clutch the shadowbox waiting for the smoke and fire to end him. For a second, he felt the burn of the fire on his skin and smoke in his lungs and then everything faded to black.

The Graveyard had burned down in the night and when morning came, the town could only see the horror that had befell the store. Stick's body was recovered, tagged and put into a grave but the remains of the Graveyard had been cleared and the lot had become a memorial to Milton and his parents. The town had gone silent and it slowly began to fade off the map. Although the town slowly began to die, the memorial still stood to honor the Graves and what they had done.

Somewhere else...

Milton suddenly awoke in an alley surrounded by old cardboard boxes and trash. He still had the shadow box albeit a little damaged from the smoke and fire. He tried to get a bearing on his surroundings but a loud crash had broken him out of it. He ran towards the noise even though he knew that was a fucking terrible idea and he saw something he never thought he'd ever see in his life.

He saw...

Milton Graves grew up in his dad's comic book store and eventually took it over. After a fire burned his shop to the ground and smoked him out, Milton awoke to find himself in the middle of the street. Before he could even think, two beautiful women with emerald skin were fighting. He recognized as comic book characters, but they were from different companies. How is this possible?

    "Anyways," Gu Shenmi scratched his head sluggishly as he spoke. He looked at Long Xian with an indescribable expression. It felt as though he was looking at a vegetable being sold at a market.




"What?" Long Xian suddenly felt anxious and uneasy. 




      Gu Shenmi abruptly snapped his fingers. A pile of dusty comic books appeared beside him out of nowhere and he picked up the first manga and waved the book. Long Xian was unable to perceive the comic's title due to the dust and cobwebs that had accumulated on it. However, she found the comic familiar... Her brows arched questioningly at the old ghost.


Gu Shenmi smirked somewhat innocently.




"Since you want me to help and I'd love no better task than doing so, this is how it's going to be, Xiao Xian," he pointed at the comic book cover. "Using my ability, I'll transport you into this comic book for some training."




"What did you just say? Is it me or you who's demented?"Long Xian suddenly felt as though she had gone nuts. Well, that would be no different to her current situation though...




"No, no, no. Nobody's demented. I'll transport you into these comic books one by one until you've successfully gone through each plot's storyline up to the endings. Get it?"




      Long Xian almost puked blood at this ghost's shameless words. However, he seemed to have prepared beforehand... 

Long Xian looked at the pikachu pajamas despisefully but, at the next moment, a maelstrom had formed at the comic book cover in Gu Shenmi's grasp. It was originally the size of a single fingertip but it gradually grew bigger and was sucking the energy around it crazily. 

Long Xian was greatly affected as her body became imbalanced, being pulled towards the raging maelstrom. However, Gu Shenmi remained unperturbed and was as immovable as a mountain in front of the madly swirling vortex of blackness.




"Hey! Wait a...!"Long Xian instantly vanished from the space as she was sucked into the comic book.




"Okay, done with that."Gu Shenmi languidly rubbed the dust off the comic. However, when his eyes randomly fell onto the large bold characters of the book's title, his bluish-purple eyes widened in astonishment. "Oh. Well...this is bad..."

•

•

•

•

Internationally Renowned Idol still has it easy in another world? Of course!

I'll breathe new life into this world and turn it into an entertainment haven; but, wait a minute... my whole family was already murdered one month ago?

The only person I can now call family is my grandfather?

A bunch of old chaps are suppressing my household? And, what's this? Some 'loan sharks' and 'land grabbers' are swarming over my family property?

This isn't right; there is definitely something wrong with this world!

Forget about changing the world, I'll declare my sovereignty over it!

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