Novel-novel oleh Angel JoRay

The theater lights gradually brightened, casting a soft glow over the room as the end credits rolled. The movie was over, but Charlene remained seated, soaking in the moment. It had been a wonderful experience—not just the film, but the whole evening. The fact that Issa had gone out of his way to learn what she liked and then planned a date around it... it was unexpected. Thoughtful. Sweet. It made her heart flutter.But then, a quiet ache pulsed in her chest.A flicker of guilt.Mike.It was ridiculous, she knew. She had barely known him. Their connection was brief, a spark that had come and gone, like a match in the dark. And he was gone now, moved on—wherever souls like his went. But why did it still hurt? Why did she feel like she'd betrayed him? Maybe she had developed feelings for him without realizing it. Her emotions had been a whirlwind lately.She sighed internally. “Stupid hormones.”Still, she smiled at Issa, grateful. “Thank you for the wonderful date, Issa. I appreciate

Charlene stood in the shower, her voice echoing softly off the tiled walls as she sang a cheerful tune. The warm water cascaded over her, washing away the remnants of the day and invigorating her spirit. Today was special—her first date—and anticipation bubbled within her. "How long are you gonna be in there?" ReNew's voice called out, muffled through the door. "Just a little longer, washing my hair," Charlene replied, lathering shampoo into her curls. "Hold your horses!" "I have something for you. Hurry up, Char!" "Okay, out in a minute!" she promised, rinsing the suds away. As she reached for her towel, ReNew's voice came again, hesitant. "Would you mind if I didn't go with you? You know, two's company, three's a crowd." Charlene paused, considering. "It's up to you," she said thoughtfully. "I understand if you don't want to go." "Great, see you later. Bye!" ReNew's footsteps faded quickly. "Wait, where are you going?" Charlene called, peeking out with soap still in her eyes

Charlene groaned as she stirred, blinking blearily at the dimly lit ceiling. “What time is it?” she mumbled, sitting up. “The alarm never went off.”She rolled over and squinted at the monitor’s soft glow, but something else caught her attention first—her sleeve. She was wearing long-sleeved pajamas. Duckies. Bright yellow duckies.“What the... why am I in these?” She looked down at her body in disbelief. “I didn’t go to bed in pajamas... and definitely not these.” She threw back the covers and frantically peeked under the bed. “Where’s my uniform?!”Out of frustration, she shouted, “Dad!”Her memories were a blur. She hadn’t slept like that in... how long had it been? Days? Weeks?The scent hit her nose before her feet hit the floor.“Do I smell... pancakes?”She cautiously padded down the hallway and peeked around the corner. There in the kitchen, Seth stood at the stove, flipping pancakes like a professional short-order cook. Issa was beside him, laughing at something the twins had

Blood oozed from his mouth, thick and black, bubbling at the corners as it dripped to the floor of the containment cube. Asmodeus pressed his hands flat against the transparent walls, teeth bared in a crazed, furious grin. His body trembled from both pain and rage. There was no escaping this prison—unless he did the one thing that burned his pride.Submit.He was being forced to submit.Seth stepped away from the others and pulled Charlene aside. His face was serious but tinged with hope."Princess, please tell me you got the items he took from Torock. Please tell me we didn’t lose them."Charlene raised her eyebrows and gave him a smug little smirk. "Of course," she said sweetly. She reached into her coat and pulled out a soft satin bag, its drawstrings glowing faintly. She dangled it in front of his face with a victorious grin. "It was hanging from his belt. I summoned it just before the box closed."Seth exhaled in relief, eyes lighting up. He ruffled her hair with pride."That's m

Charlene, ReNew, and Ariel crept slowly down the corridor. Even with the light shield in hand, the darkness was so thick they could barely see more than a few feet ahead. Charlene’s breath hitched—tight and shallow. It had been years since she felt this kind of fear. The dark had a way of dragging out the deepest, buried terrors.ReNew glanced at her, alarmed. Charlene was showing signs of a panic attack.A high-pitched squeak broke the silence, and something skittered across Charlene’s feet."Was that a rat?" she gasped, stumbling back.Charlene's chest tightened."I don't know, Charlene—it’s too dark. Maybe a small cat?" ReNew offered.Charlene shot her a glare cold enough to shatter stone. "I’d slap you if I could see you better!"Still breathing hard, Charlene lifted the shield toward ReNew’s face. “Let me see you.”"I’m just trying to help you, Char!" ReNew said gently. "In through your nose, out through your mouth." She gave her a calm smile.We need to move quickly before she g

Just before the break of dawn, the alarm blared.Charlene shot up, startled. “What’s going on? I’m up!” she shouted, rubbing her eyes. She was already fully dressed, only needing to slip on her shoes. She blinked. “Speed.”Three seconds later, she was in the war room.Argun’s eyes glowed as he pointed to the screen. “There is unusual movement below the Great Hall.”“There,” he said, highlighting a darkened corridor.“Why are the bodies blue?” Seth asked, frowning.“There’s no life in them,” Argun muttered. “They’re dead… but they’re moving. Soldiers from the swamp. That’s where they were stored.”Charlene’s heart dropped. “Dad.”“The good news is there are only about twenty of them,” Argun continued. “The bad news? The portal has been opened several times in the last few days.”“We’ve just now located them,” Destiny added. “But the energy is still low. These are lower-level demons. The Seven Lords haven’t been summoned yet. We may still have a chance.”Suddenly, Argun’s head snapped t