The Ninth Rain Novels & Stories

he said with a faint smile and a hint of affection in his eyes. My heart went cold. The tears I had just shed out of gratitude suddenly felt ridiculous. After being abandoned 99 times, why would I still expect any love from them? When I didn't respond, Joel impatiently scratched his head. "Come on, Soph. Yvette's never been abroad before. It's her first time going somewhere that far. As her family, we should be there for her. "Besides, you've never seen the Northern Lights either. Think of it as an early honeymoon."

The rain continued tracing its sleepy rhythm, carrying her stillness outward, toward whoever was ready to hear it. ✨ Ready for Part 92? We might follow Dani’s grain of rice as it inspires a new ritual, or trace how Ren’s Beside the Pouch loop affects someone far from Baler. The quiet keeps echoing—and it’s beautifully patient. 🌙🪶

The roar of thunder that sounded above us was the only hint for what Raina had planned. A bolt of brilliant lightning shot down from the sky and struck right in the middle of our circle, causing men and women to jump from their seats. The bolt was so bright people had to shield their eyes. In the center was a crater of scorched earth, everything within a foot of the strike burnt to a crisp. Smoke billowed into the air and Raina summoned a gust of wind to blow it away. The grass around the ring of destruction was lit with small flames, looking like a halo of wildfire. A flick of Raina’s wrist had rain falling to extinguish the embers and cooling the ground.

At the DeLuca Family banquet announcing its new advisor, Matteo said he was going to end nine years of secrecy and finally acknowledge our relationship in public. I stood in the back row of the banquet hall, so nervous I'd crumpled my prepared speech into a ball. Over nine years, I'd cleaned up the port books for him three times, negotiated two cross-border shipping routes, and taken a bullet for him. Everyone knew the DeLuca Family had a female advisor who never showed her face, but no one knew I was that woman. I thought that after tonight, I would finally stop being his shadow. Until the screen at the front of the banquet hall lit up. There was no photo of us. Instead, there was only a si

The rain had become part of the house now. It seeped into every corner, every crack, every memory. Nine days since Elena walked out into the storm. Nine days since the door closed behind her. Nine days since the family had stood together in the living room, holding each other, promising to survive. Nine days since the promise had started to feel like a lie.

“Nine hundred and ninety-nine roses. It’s quite a sight.” I didn’t even look up. “The usual. Split them among the staff.” That was the third time that week. It was obvious Annie was trying to recreate the early days of our relationship. Back then, it was flowers, gifts, and her waiting downstairs for hours just to see me. However, that was then. Now, those same gestures didn’t touch me. They just wore me down. Nurse Lisa hesitated for a moment. “She’s out at the front desk again. She said she has to see you today.”

I forced back the tears in my eyes and the vomit rising in my throat. ‘It’s fine,’ I told myself quietly. ‘With that, all 99 coupons have been used up. ‘I’m leaving you for good, Leonard.’

​The Rain of Memories ​Outside the ship, the silver pixels of the moon’s shell began to fall toward the surface of Sigma-9. They looked like a meteor shower of pure light. But as they hit the atmosphere, they didn't burn up. They turned into "Memory-Rain", a soft, glowing drizzle that carried the songs, the stories, and the secret dreams of the ancestors back to the people in the streets.

I was sure it'd be a hit. It’s due in three more days and I had to give it a compelling ending before I submitted it to the publishing company that held the competition. If my manuscript wins… it’ll kickstart my writing career, plus, I can use the prize money to buy the land where our milk tea shop is. I continued my writing when I noticed the rain getting worse as the minutes went by. The raindrops against our metallic roof and the howling wind were music to my ears. Is there bad weather today? I hope not a storm. I heard early this morning; heavy rain is expected tonight. It might be this. Nevertheless, I resumed writing.

June 14, 1974. And beneath it... The Ninth Cipher Begins. Adrian frowned. "What is the Ninth Cipher?" The apartment lights suddenly went out. Complete darkness. A loud crash echoed from the living room. Glass shattered across the floor. Adrian rushed back into the hallway. Cold wind poured through the apartment. The living room window had exploded inward. Rain soaked the wooden floor. His dining table had been overturned. The envelope was gone. For a split second, panic replaced every rational thought. Then he saw it.