Ascension of the Immortal Asura - Chapter 14: Preparation

Memories shape who we are—they define us, anchoring us to our pasts. They are like videos, playing endlessly in our minds.But everything changed one day when people began to relive their memories. However, it wasn’t the pleasant ones that resurfaced. Instead, they were forced to experience their worst moments—or even memories that weren’t their own.Those who managed to survive this haunting experience found themselves watched by strange creatures, and in turn, were granted their powers.As if the world weren’t already thrown into chaos, these same bizarre monsters began to manifest on Earth, threatening humanity with the very real prospect of extinction.Amidst this upheaval, a small, seemingly insignificant beast was born. But it quickly rose to power, only to be betrayed and killed in a cruel twist of fate. Or so it seemed—because somehow, the beast found itself reborn in the body of a human.

Rhian Locke only wanted strength.To face the monster that slaughtered his parents while he watched, helpless.“I never asked to be your savior. So why should I care?”All he hoped for was to reach a decent rank, hunt that beast down, maybe become a monster hunter, and retire in peace.“I’m not a slave to the gods. I don’t exist to do their bidding.”But the world had made its decision long before he was born.“Patterns are meant to be broken.”------“Boy, I’ve bathed in the blood of your kind. I’ve crushed those stronger than you.”Lightning cracked across the sky. A hammer flew to the hand of a god.“I won’t let a deceiver’s spawn and a whore’s bastard son, stand before me and declare my end.”Rhian stepped forward, blood trailing from his mouth, eyes locked.“I’m not here to declare your end,” he said coldly. “I’m here to fulfill it.”....

“Did you just marry the richest man in the country… by accident? How does that even happen?”Delphinia sighed dramatically. “I know, I’m such an overachiever. But it’s easy, really. Step one: drink too much. Step two: find the perfect man. Step three: say ‘I do’ before he realizes I’m a walking disaster.”“And the revenge?”She raised her glass. “Served cold, with a diamond bigger than my ex’s ego.”—After years trapped in a loveless, abusive marriage, Delphinia had one plan: leave her toxic past behind and never look back. But freedom isn’t as sweet as she’d hoped. With no family to turn to and no place to go, she crashes with her best friend…only to end up at a party where one too many drinks lead to one tiny (accidental) marriage to Evander Walton.Handsome, rich, and absolutely off-limits, Evander is everything Delphinia thought she’d never have. And he has just one condition if she wants to break things off: she’ll have to pay him back…for the huge diamond ring she barely remembers accepting. Broke and in no position to negotiate, she’s got no choice but to play along with her accidental husband and the lavish life that comes with him.Now she’s living in luxury, holding her head high, and plotting the sweetest revenge against the ex who tried to ruin her. Because if there’s one thing Delphinia knows, it’s that payback is best served in designer heels.

Two centuries after the Great War, peace between humans and werewolves was finally achieved, or so everyone believes. Werewolves reign like gods, and humans remain blissfully unaware of their true place in the new world order.To maintain this fragile balance, each year, a handful of “lucky” humans are selected from various districts to attend Lunaris Academy, a prestigious institution that promises glory, status, and a chance to mingle with the elite. Those chosen are hailed as the lucky few, destined to marry powerful alphas and rise as luna.This year, Violet Purple is among the chosen, much to everyone's surprise. For an orphaned girl adopted by a disgraced prostitute, this is a golden ticket to a better life or so she's told. But Lunaris Academy isn’t the paradise it’s painted to be.Everything Violet and her fellow humans have been taught is a lie. Humans are far from equal; they're pawns in a much larger game. The academy is nothing but a gilded cage, and the students are lambs led to slaughter, playthings for the alphas to toy with in their ruthless games.To make matters worse, Violet catches the attention of the most dangerous players in this game, the Terror Four: the Alpha of the North, Alpha of the South, Alpha of the East, and Alpha of the West. Each one is more dangerous, more twisted, and more powerful than the last. But even among themselves, the alphas are divided, each with their own deadly ambitions.Yet, they all have their eyes on her.They expect Violet to play along, to fall in line like the others who worship at their feet, to break under their games. But Violet isn’t like the others. She refuses to bow. She’ll defy them all.***********With a grin that made her uneasy, he handed the application to her. “Approve this one.”Principal Jameson’s curiosity got the better of her as she took the paper from him, her eyes scanning the text.Almost immediately, her breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in disbelief. “What the...?”“It’s perfect, isn’t it?” Asher’s voice was almost gleeful.Fucking psychopath!Jameson could hardly believe what she was reading. “Mr. Nightshade, with all due respect, this applicant….this girl just admitted to—”She couldn’t even finish the sentence, still horrified at the explicit nature of the application.Taking a deep breath, she continued, “I’m sorry, but I cannot approve this.”“She’s issued me a challenge,” Archer said, a dark gleam in his eyes.“What?”“‘Wait till you see me in bed,’” he repeated the bold line from the application, his grin widening. “And I can’t wait to find out.”“Mr. Nightshade—”He stood up, cutting off her protest as he fixed her with an intense stare. “Approve the application. I won’t ask again.”Without waiting for her response, Asher strode out of the office, confident she would follow his orders. He always got what he wanted.Archer Nightshade walked down the hall, a spring in his step. For the first time in a long while, he felt alive, his blood pulsing with excitement.The other Cardinal Alphas had no idea what he was up to, but it would soon hit them.He’d just set the game in motion.And the target was Violet Purple.It was game on.