Reflecting Pond

Hubert Parker and I had been together since our teenage years. We went from innocent first love to planning a lifetime together. But a week before our wedding, he died in a sudden accident. I cried until I nearly passed out, only to see strange messages flashing before my eyes. [Can someone please tell the poor female lead he’s not really dead?] [Hubert’s secret lover ran away after hearing about his wedding. He faked his death that very night and flew overseas to chase her. The female lead’s crying by his grave while the mistress is crying in his bed. This is killing me!] [What a pity. When he finally came back, she knew nothing and still married him with a smile…] Half a month later, news spread across Ashford that I was engaged to the heir of one of the city’s most powerful families. One of Hubert’s closest friends confronted me in disbelief. “It hasn’t even been that long since Hubert passed, and you’ve already found someone new?” “He’s gone. I can’t spend the rest of my life in mourning, can I?”

Carl Leighton felt his life wasn't making a difference, so he jumped at the chance to work with Control, an organization that seemed to know the truth behind the mysteries of what other people perceived as mundane reality. Soon, he found himself on an expedition deep into the desert in Arizona with a group of unique folks, including one who could even cast real magic. Carl had known that the world and the people around him were full of secrets, but now he was wondering if maybe some secrets should stay secret.

On my birthday, Heather Pond’s lover posted a sonogram on his social media account and captioned it, [We’re going to be parents!] I commented, [Congratulations. You can have the baby cot from my place.] The next second, Heather called me to give me a warning. “Brandon Smith is dying. I’ll come back to you once I give birth to his child. Please don’t trigger him any further!” I remained calm and collected when I served her the divorce papers. Then, I packed my bags and went on a vacation in Europe.

Are you in for some mind-boggling story that will poke your curiosity? The story will allow you to feel a strong emotion reflecting an intense desire or boundless enthusiasm and willingness to suffer for what your heart desires and what you truly love. This story will change your perception of the real meaning of love. Dylan and Aria will teach us the valuable lesson that sometimes the sacrifice of love costs too much to bear by yourself.

What do you desire? Wealth, Fame or Women? Anything you desire can be fulfilled in The Great Black Sea. Set in the medieval period, six friends depart on a journey after their friend gets diagnosed with an unknown disease with no cure. They need to search for a fish which is in a holy pond on an island and has power to fulfill any wish. But what lies for them are the hardships and challenges in the form of cannibal tribes, hungry fairies, ball munching mermaids, pirates and even genies. Will they be able to reach the island and save their friend? Will they be driven by their own desires and betray each other? You have to read to find out. This is an epic ride which will make you delve deep inside yourself in a fun way.

Across time and continents, a mysterious violet Door appears to those in their darkest hour. It is not just an escape; it is a summons. In modern-day Tanzania, Resipicius ("Ressi") is a young man crushed by poverty and aimlessness. When the glowing portal tears through the wall of his crumbling hut, he steps into the void, leaving his world behind. But the mystery of the Door began long ago. In 1921, twins Mwanamalundi and Mwajuma were born with the power to command the storm and the earth. Destined to protect their people, they built a sanctuary against colonial oppression. However, their rise provoked Baraka, a jealous rival who betrayed them to German forces. In the ensuing battle, Baraka found redemption in a sacrificial death, but tragedy struck the twins. Mwajuma fell into the Chozi la Ardhi—a mystical pond that defied gravity to become the very first Door—and vanished into the stars. Now, the Door has opened again for Ressi and others across the globe. The prophecy foretold that help would come from other worlds. The scattered heroes are being gathered, and the true war is about to begin.

Welcome back to Clifton Heights. Sheriff Chris Baker and Father Ward meet for a Saturday morning breakfast at The Skylark Diner to once again commiserate over the weird and terrifying secrets surrounding their town. Sheriff Baker shares with Father Ward the story of a journal discovered in the ruins of what was once an elaborate koi pond and flower garden, which regales a tale of regret, buried pain, and unfulfilled debt: “Sophan” – Jake Burns has always been a bit...off. Rude, awkward, sometimes brutish, he's tolerated by Nate Slocum and his friends because he hits a mean line drive, and because they all know but don't discuss the abuse he faces at the hands of his troubled father, a Vietnam veteran consumed by his demons. But Jake is suffering something far worse than domestic abuse, and when Nate discovers what, he faces an impossible choice: help Jake and put himself in the path of evil, or abandon him, only to damn himself in the process. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

When I drink the amber-colored poisonous wine, I can hear the joyful melody of a toast song coming from the manor. The wedding between Emanuela Romano and my ex-fiance, Benedetto Martini, is being held there right now. The elderly butler, Vincenzo Romano, puts away the wine glass with a blank expression. The way he speaks is as somber as one sounds when they give a speech at a funeral. "You know the Don's will very well, Ms. Andreotti. Five years are officially up, yet neither Mr. Andreotti, Mr. Martini, nor Dr. Foscari is willing to pledge their loyalty to you via the blood vow. According to the rules, you must take your own life within seven days. "The Don had left the Ashwine to you as a means of protecting… what little pride you have." Scorching pain begins spreading from my throat. I just smile at Vincenzo in return. Pride? Does a bastard spawn of a loose Iernian woman deserve to retain pride of any sort in the cruel Andreotti family? I begin making my way toward the banquet hall, which is brightly lit. As I walk past the shimmering waters of the pond in the family garden, I can tell that the waters are insanely cold. Then again, nothing is as cold as my icy heart right now. After taking a deep breath, I fall face-first into the pond… only to feel an iron-clad grip wrenching me backward. As such, I collapse onto the lawn heavily. My older brother, Alessandro Andreotti, has bits of grass covering his expensive suit. Disgust is written all over his handsome face. "Eva!" he grits out through his teeth, his voice lowered. "Must you spoil the mood on Emanuela's big day?" He then scoots closer to me, his alcohol-tinged breath fanning over my face. "You want to die, huh? Go ahead and do that, but can you die somewhere further? Don't stain the Andreotti land!" Alessandro turns to walk in the direction of the radiant lights, leaving me on the lawn, completely covered in mud. I can feel the countdown of my lifespan burning my insides. Seven days… I only have seven days to live. Meanwhile, my very own brother wants me to die somewhere further away.

Liam Smith, an orphan, has had a dream for years; to become a star of the ever famous Lotus Pond Entertainment company. However, when he meets the famous and attractive CEO of the company, notorious playboy, Kain Jones, things take an unexpected turn. Kain is unfriendly, rude and even rejects Liam’s wishes of joining the company! Kain is not at all what Liam had expected his childhood star to be like at all! Disappointed, but not put off, Liam refuses to give up on his dreams of becoming a star and vows to do anything to get that chance, including doing whatever Kain demands of him, but just how far is Liam willing to go? "Your fervent, misguided sense of entitlement is stunning," Kain snarls at me. His nose twitches in indignation before a slow, cruel smirk crawls over his lips. He mouths the word 'anything', repeating what I had just said before leaning in and taking my chin into his fingers, brushing my lips with his thumb as he says in a low growl, "why don't you show me...”

She was a piece of Heaven he wanted to own. And he, was the flames of Hell she wanted to tame. "You must be tired." The unparalleled face softens with an indulging smile, and I nod hastily like a chick pecking at grains. My reason, wisdom, and rationality became words of a foreign tongue when the fingers tangled amongst my hair trail down to my cheekbones. The caresses like the fine strokes of a paint brush that gave colour to my skin. "But next time." His eyes of hellfire narrows, reflecting the features of a iolite-eyed mortal, and crimson lips pull back over sharp canines. "I might not be as easy to tame." ■What happens when the greek god of the Underworld becomes the 'Grumpy Patient' to a kind hearted mortal, burdened by a curse untold and a gift unrivalled.■ Slow burn Update schedule : Every 2 days ◇