Cerita Pendek & Novel Superpowers

On the night college applications closed, I received a message from a mysterious stranger. The sender claimed to be me seven years in the future and even sent me a video. In the video, Noah’s best friend asked him, “You secretly changed Claire’s application to a school thousands of miles away. Aren’t you worried she’ll get angry and leave you?” Noah, my childhood best friend, sounded completely unconcerned. “She cares about me too much to ever leave. Besides, it’s only a few years. Maybe this will finally teach her to stop following me around all day and getting in the way of me and Isabella.” I sat there in stunned silence long after the video ended, still unable to believe what I had just seen. It wasn’t until I logged into the application portal to check that I discovered the local state university I had originally chosen had really been replaced with an obscure school thousands of miles away. My hands and feet instantly went cold. When I finally came back to my senses, the first thing I did was change the application to one of the country’s top universities in the medical field. Just as Noah wanted, I would leave him for good.

Jace Thorne—my childhood crush—crashed a car with me. I walked away fine. He "lost his memory." Plot twist: my dead grandma's soul moved in. "Jace is faking amnesia again to mess with my sweet granddaughter. If I were alive, I'd break his legs myself!" I blinked. Hard. Grandma's voice wouldn't shut up. "In her past life, Demi was miserable. Jace left her to rot while he partied with that Stafford girl. Had a heart attack, and he was lighting birthday candles. Trash!" Then came the kicker: "Your grandpa's letting you pick your fiancé. Don't even think about Jace. Pick Leroy. That boy's actually decent." Right on cue, Grandpa strolled into the hospital with the elder squad, slapped down pics of four legacy heirs, and told me to choose. I didn't even blink. Picked Leroy Leighton—my childhood nemesis turned fiancé. Because yeah, I'm a grandma's girl to the core. If she said Jace Thorne didn't love me, then I was so done.

One afternoon, I received a text from seven years in the future. The sender was me, Delilah Hanson. I assumed it was some new kind of scam, so I didn't even bother reading the message before firing off an angry reply. [Drop dead, scammer!] The sender responded with a photo of an empty bottle of sleeping pills. [I'm not a scammer, but I really am about to die. Break up with Caleb. Today is the first day he cheats on you. His first love just came back from overseas. Her name is Savannah Gordon.] I froze. The whole thing was so ridiculous that I almost laughed. I was Caleb Wheeler's first love! Right then, the door opened behind me. Caleb walked in with a woman beside him, smiling as he introduced us. "Delilah, there's someone I want you to meet. This is Savannah, my foster sister. She just got back today."

My husband is from a wolf pack with a throne to inherit, but despite all my efforts, I can never give him a son. He finds it shameful that I only give birth to daughters, forgetting how I risked my life to save him. So, he begins an affair with my sister. Later, for the sake of the male offspring in my sister's belly, he brutally throws my daughter to her death and made me cough up blood until I die. Now that I am reborn, I no longer want any connection with him and avoid the path where I save him. But I never expected that my reborn sister would rescue him instead. They smugly mock me for being unable to bear male heirs. But she doesn't know that the ten-thousand-year-old Creator Goddess bloodline flowing through my veins has already been quietly awakened. My daughter will inherit the power of the goddess and become the ruler of the new world.

After the drunken emperor took me to bed, I brewed a pot of abortifacient under cover of night. Everyone in the inner palace knew the emperor was utterly devoted to the empress. For a pawn like me, bedded by mistake while he was drunk, giving birth to his child would be signing my own death warrant. But just as I brought the bowl to my lips, a few lines of golden text appeared out of thin air. [Oh no, that's the tyrant's only flesh and blood! And it's triplets!] [That wandering healer's remedy was a setup! The emperor tested the empress's medicine for her, and now he's completely infertile!] I stared at the words "infertile" and "triplets." My hand shook, and half the broth sloshed out of the bowl. The next second, I poured every last drop into the ashes of the brazier. Drink an abortifacient? Not a chance. This was my golden road to becoming the Dowager Empress!

Charles Romano and I had applied together to take over the Caruso family's arms route in Boston. I'd just closed the family's transfer portal. Then a video from an unknown sender popped up on my phone. I opened it, and my stomach dropped. It was me, ten years in the future. My face was streaked with tears, and I sounded frantic as I spoke into the camera. "Charles changed your request! He switched it to the local docks! You'll be stuck on the docks for life. You'll never get ahead. "He's doing it because he and Susie have been together for a long time. Susie doesn't want you in the inner circle, and she doesn't want you hanging around him! "No matter how hard you fight to move up, you'll never get anywhere. You'll even take the fall for a problem with the books, and in the end you'll die a horrible death in the council hall!" My heart was pounding. Chills kept running down my spine. The second the video cut off, my head snapped up. My hands were shaking as I opened my laptop. Sure enough, my request had been changed to the local docks. I clenched my fists. My palms were slick with sweat. It took me a while to pull myself together. When I did, I withdrew my request and accepted the Turner family's offer. They wanted me in Miami as their underboss.

My mom stole my dad's name and his status as the top-ranked student in the state, then gave them to her childhood sweetheart. From then on, the two thieves soared to the top. One was admitted to Ashford University and went on to become a computer science professor at one of the country's top universities. The other attended Westbridge University and became a nationally recognized expert in education. … Meanwhile, my dad was left without a legal identity, spending his entire life scraping by through odd jobs and backbreaking labor. Years later, I inherited his talent and founded a leading AI technology company, making a name for myself in the industry. Potential partners were constantly coming to me with offers. One company, in particular, approached me several times seeking a partnership. The contract they offered was tempting, with generous terms and impeccable credentials. I casually flipped through their background information. But when I reached the page introducing the founder, my hand stopped. After a long silence, I finally said slowly, “Forget it. I won’t work with you.”

I Was Your Only Secret

The apocalypse has arrived. I carry multiple special abilities and am humanity's hope. However, my wife tears those powers out of me for the sake of her true love. I'm in unbearable pain. I beg her to stop, telling her I'll die. But she doesn't care at all. "Why are you so selfish? You have so many abilities and won't even give one to Ed. Stop being so dramatic. Why do you get to be the hero while my Ed stays an ordinary person?" What she doesn't know is that each special ability is like a heart—take it away, and the person dies.

I am the only pure-blood white wolf in the entire werewolf federation. I am the Chief Healer. The pack's very survival rests in my hands. Blessed by the Moon Goddess, my bloodline gives me a rare gift. I see the true emotions of other wolves toward me as a visible aura of the soul. It is more than just a scent. It is the true measure of a wolf's desire and loyalty. The closer the color is to pure gold, the deeper the devotion. It means a love fierce, possessive, and endless. Four years ago, Alpha Derrick claimed me. His soul flared pure gold. It burned with a heat so fierce it nearly swallowed me whole. For four full years, we were the pack's golden couple. Everyone envied us. Then Nadia arrived six months ago. A fallen guard's widow. She moved straight into our territory. Today was our fourth mating anniversary, and our daughter's birthday. We had no celebration. Instead, Derrick slammed our mind-link shut. A cold, suffocating silence choked my head. I drove through the pouring rain to the pack border. In the storm, Derrick held a sobbing Nadia tight against his chest. Their scents bled together with zero shame, zero boundaries. That pure gold on him had faded to a much lighter shade, no longer as radiant as before. The soul never lies. My inner wolf whimpered, curled up in agony, and went cold. The message was clear. We were done with this tainted soul. I did not scream. I did not confront him. Instead, I used his arrogant pride against him. I slipped a Mate Severing Agreement, pre-approved by the High Elder Council, into Nadia's medical aid fund. He had no idea. His personal seal stamped the page. The moment I cross the pack border, the bond will shatter. After tonight, we are nothing to each other.

The night before the SAT, I record a video call between my present self and my future self ten years from now. Except the line actually connects to my future self. "Did I make it into Crythoria University's joint bachelor's-master's program? Is Brielle still my best friend? "If everything went according to plan, I should be done with grad school by now and married to David, right? High school sweethearts tying the knot! "Maybe we even have a cute kid together? I've already picked out a nickname." I blush, letting my imagination run wild. But the moment David Barrett's name leaves my mouth, the future me flies into a rage. "David gave you disappearing ink pens so Brielle could become the top scorer in the city! You didn't get into Crythoria. You had to repeat your senior year. "David acted heartbroken and promised to make long-distance work. Then he turned right around, went public with Brielle at college, and became the couple everyone envies. "Felicity Fisher, you absolute idiot! You got cheated on and still thanked Brielle for taking care of your boyfriend!"

In a music competition show, my rival unexpectedly played the melody I had in my mind before I could. Shocked, I confronted her, asking why she plagiarized me. However, she turned the accusation against me and said, "You said I stole your work, but do you have any proof?" However, I was unable to provide any concrete evidence. Thus, I was labeled as a bully and a plagiarist, ultimately meeting a tragic end. Even in my final moments, I couldn't figure out how she managed to steal something from my mind. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on that same stage. Seeing that my rival was about to play her part, I stopped her and said, "This time, it's my turn to go first."

When the zombie apocalypse hit, pets leveled up into guardians. Three per person. That was the cap. My buddy dropped serious cash on three Caucasian Shepherds. My landlord dumped his fish and started raising crocodiles. My girlfriend bolted to the zoo and came back with a lion. Me? I had three strays. Bubba—blind. Missy—lame. Snowy—barely a month old. The second the system locked pet slots, I knew I was screwed. I barricaded myself inside with my three "broken" cats and kept my head down. Day one—fear. Day two—helpless. Day three—the cats strolled back in, tails up, dragging something I didn't recognize. Bubba looked at me. "Dad, I bit off every zombie head on the block. I'm solid, right?" I just stared.

When my family was at its poorest, a wealthy family found me and claimed that I was their real daughter. The school heartthrob I crushed on? He was my fiancé all along! Still reeling from all these surprises, a mysterious message suddenly popped up in front of me. "This is where everything changes. The cannon fodder is taken home by the female lead's parents, forced to drop out of school, and then gets pregnant by her fiancé. In the end, everyone thinks she's a harbringer of misfortune, and she's beaten to death." My hand froze as I held the paternity test results. My mom's eyes filled with tears as she took the report from me. "My poor child, you've suffered enough all these years! Don't worry. Just come home with us and rest. You're our daughter now. The family business is enough for you to live comfortably forever. You don't even need to take the SAT if you don't want to." The school heartthrob lowered his head and whispered sensually into my ear, "Listen to me, Lucia. Studying is hard. I'll take care of you from now on."

My childhood friend and I were both prodigies who grew up in an orphanage. I was born with a gift for divination, able to hear the Moon Goddess's oracles and perceive the threads of fate. She was born with an uncanny gift for attracting wealth, her fortune so extraordinary that even a scratch-off ticket could empty the jackpot pool. When we were eighteen, we found a wolf at the edge of our territory, his body covered in wounds. He was Alaric, one of the top contenders for the Lycan throne, brought low by a betrayal on the night that mattered most. I read the omens. My childhood friend pulled together the funds. Together we helped Alaric fight his way back and reclaim everything that was rightfully his. The moment Alaric became Lycan King, the first thing he did was perform the Bonding ceremony with my childhood friend. They were bonded as mates, and before long had brought two remarkably gifted pups into the world. As for me, I had grown weary of life among others and retreated alone into the depths of the forest. Ten years passed. The Crescent Moon Pack was finally welcoming another pup. He was overjoyed. He hired a private helicopter in the dead of night and flew into the forest, imploring me to appear and bless the newborn. Naturally I agreed, and I made my way to the top-floor VIP suite, where I pressed a blessing from the Moon Goddess onto the little princess's brow using moonflower nectar. On my way out, a sudden impulse took hold of me, and I tossed the star dice to read my childhood friend's fortune. The dice hit the floor and shattered, every last one of them, radiating the unmistakable scent of death. Ice flooded my chest. My gaze turned cold in an instant. If my childhood friend had already died, then who was this woman reclining against the headboard of the hospital bed, looking at me with such gentleness?

At one in the morning, I stumbled upon a viral forum thread. The question was simple: If you had to choose between love and your future, which would you pick? Thousands of replies clashed furiously in the comments. Some argued that those who chose their career always ended up full of regret. Others countered that being a hopeless romantic was a one-way ticket to total ruin. I rolled over in bed and glanced at Ethan, who was fast asleep beside me. His brow was slightly furrowed, and his fingers tightly gripped the edge of my shirt. Even in his sleep, he seemed terrified that I might slip away. Without a second thought, I fired off a string of comments: “Choose love, absolutely. We’ve been together for five years.” “He gave up his entire family legacy and inheritance just to be with me.” “Every single evening after work, he goes two miles out of his way just to pick up my favorite coffee.” “We might have nothing to our names, but together, we have everything.” Satisfied, I locked my phone and drifted off to sleep. But when I woke up the next morning, a few new notifications caught my eye. Someone had replied to my comments. The avatar and the username were identical to mine. The only difference was the timestamp: Five years from today. “Choose your future! You have to choose your future!” “His ‘sacrificed legacy’ was nothing but a sob story to manipulate you—he took over his family’s multimillion-dollar enterprise a long time ago!” “He stays up all night waiting in lines just to buy Seraphina limited-edition designer collaborations, all while telling you that your coffee craving is cheap and wasteful!” “Even the daughter you gave birth to, Lily, will be forced to call that other woman ‘Mom’!”

The first thing the fake heiress did when she saw me was imitate me. I loved fishtail dresses. Hence, she immediately bought all the fishtail dresses in the city. I loved roses. Thus, she made the entire rose garden hers. I thought she was only jealous that my family had brought me home. Unexpectedly, my elder brother mistook her for me when he saw her from the back when she was wearing a fishtail dress. He gave me forty-nine lashes as punishment that night. She was carrying roses in her arms when my father saw her cheek and mistook her for me. Then, my father immediately drove me out of the house. Before I could investigate the matter, I died of acute renal failure. After my death, I saw her marry my fiance with my family’s blessing. She made a remark on the night of her wedding. “System, I’ve got to thank you for letting me change people’s memories. As long as others mistake me for her, I can casually change their memories.” Enlightenment gripped me, but it was too late. It did not occur to me that I would return to the moment when she had just purchased the fishtail dresses.

After waking up one day to discover I was coughing up flowers, everyone started giving me strange looks. It continued until my sworn enemy cornered me against a wall. His expression darkened as he chuckled softly and asked, "Oh, baby, have you been going out like this every day? Why don't you try mine instead?"

Ten minutes before the ceremony, my phone lit up with a photograph that made my stomach turn. A woman with sunken eyes, thin down to the bone, crawling across a floor on her hands and knees like a dog. My fiance, Harrison Blake, stood over her, looking down at her with disgust. I was about to block the number and write it off as a prank when two more messages came through. "Run. Right now. Whatever you do, don't marry Harrison Blake." "That woman on the floor is you, ten years from now."

My fiancé had nearly tortured me to death, all because his first love kept turning him against me. Lying in the cold, dark basement, I made a bitter wish. If only I could switch bodies with Nolan Ralston. Then he'd finally know what he'd put me through. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in his luxurious bed, all sixteen feet of it. And there was Nolan, wearing my face, staring at me in shock. Before he could say a word, his precious first love let out a little cry and dramatically collapsed in front of him. "I was just trying to check your injuries. Why did you push me?" she whimpered, looking utterly pitiful. I watched Nolan's eyes widen, his indignation at being falsely accused written all over his face. I couldn't help it. A laugh escaped me. God, that felt good.