Fiction

Hue and The Discovery of Manipo. AI-Generated.
Live your life. I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase before. Maybe someone said it to you this morning. Maybe you’ve said it to yourself. It gets thrown around like a magic spell — short, familiar, worn smooth by a million tongues. Everyone has their own version: do what thou wilt, follow your heart, be who you want, live however you choose. A thousand tiny philosophies scattered like stars across the night sky, each one convinced it shines the brightest.
By Lorenzo Blandabout 8 hours ago in Chapters
The Last Heir of the Van Declaoria Bloodline - Chapter 8. AI-Generated.
The night inside the Van Declaoria Tower felt different. Quieter. But not calmer. Herlucia Van Declaoria stood near the long glass wall of the council chamber, watching the city of Arlein stretch endlessly beneath her.
By Luke Dreayryabout 19 hours ago in Chapters
The Quiet Designer
By the time it hit 18:30, the office had quieted down. It felt empty, even though two or three of us were still there. Today had been a series of almosts—almost speaking up, almost correcting a mistake before it turned into a problem, almost being noticed.
By H J Myersabout 24 hours ago in Chapters
Glass Winter | Chapter XV
“Lord of the earth and the sea, show us the way, show us the truth. Comfort our troubled hearts in this hour of mourning. Guide our departed friend unto your halls in the sky, alight his way with your forgiveness and your mercy…”
By Andrei Babanin2 days ago in Chapters
Dragon Horse. Content Warning.
Nikolaos's shoulders stiffen when at his parents’ voices crackle in his ear canals. He’s forgotten to take off his hearing aid.
By Wen Xiaosheng3 days ago in Chapters
A Most Lethal Weapon - Chapter 2
Kira’s mornings always began with a soft chime that sounded more like a bird than an alarm. As the walls of her apartment shifted from their deep indigo night mode to a pale golden hue, she stretched lazily, her toes brushing the warm surface of the floor. It was a small luxury, the way everything in the Universal Growth Administration (UGA) seemed to adjust to your needs before you even realized them.
By C. Sinata3 days ago in Chapters
Songs of the Silver Wizard
COMPENDIUM “And what if I make the wrong choice?” “The greatest bit of hubris a man can hold is denying there are choices without consequence. The right choice now may prove to be the wrong one ten years hence. The wrong choice now may yield but a scratch but prevent the tumbling of an unseen pebble that sparks an avalanche. The only way to truly fail is to never choose at all.”
By Matthew J. Fromm3 days ago in Chapters
The Descent
I awake to the sterile stillness of night on Mars. My prosthetic is irritating me, and I lean down to scratch it. I realise it’s my calf that’s itching around the titanium frame. Perhaps I should be happy I have sensation where previously there was none, but I only find it disturbing.
By N J Delmas3 days ago in Chapters
The Conduit: Chapter 20
Chapter 20 The room, lit by candles, and with a majestic view of the city, was nearly empty except for Daniel Deacon Reddick. Daniel was one of the key developers of the project and a principal owner of the tower development. As he got comfortable on the leather sofa sitting in the center of the room, sipping a glass of bourbon and enjoying a cigar, Daniel listened to the soft music playing over the speakers. He couldn’t remember being so relaxed, and yet he was filled with an anxious excitement he hadn’t felt in ages. Daniel believed he had inked the deal of a lifetime, and the deal was about to be finalized.
By The Man Behind The Mask4 days ago in Chapters
Project Gleam
Maddox closed his eyes and listened intently as he sat alone in a room. The only sound he could hear was his thoughts and breathing. A blank holographic screen hovered in front of him.
By Jasmine Aguilar5 days ago in Chapters
Crystal Banaba - 4
“Still, I don’t know if I’d want to wear my grandmother on my finger,” Rachel shivered at the thought as she uttered it. “Understandable. But wouldn’t you want to wear your grandmother’s memory on your finger?”
By Lana V Lynx5 days ago in Chapters
The Day I Stopped Being Afraid
The Day I Stopped Being Afraid BY: Khan Fear had been my quiet shadow for as long as I could remember. It followed me into every room, every decision, every dream I almost dared to chase. Most people couldn’t see it, but I felt it constantly—like a whisper in my ear reminding me that I wasn’t brave enough, smart enough, or strong enough. For years, I listened to that whisper. I avoided risks. I stayed silent when I had something important to say. I chose comfort over opportunity. Whenever life presented a door, fear convinced me not to open it. “What if you fail?” it would ask. And that question alone was enough to stop me. One rainy afternoon, I was sitting by the window of a small café, watching people hurry through the streets. Some were laughing, some were arguing, and some simply walked with purpose. They all seemed so certain about where they were going. I wondered what that felt like. My coffee had gone cold, but I hadn’t noticed. My mind was busy replaying every opportunity I had let slip away. The job interview I never attended. The conversation I was too nervous to start. The dream I quietly buried because I thought it was unrealistic. It suddenly hit me that fear had stolen more from me than failure ever could. That realization felt heavier than anything I had experienced before. At that moment, something inside me shifted. I realized that the real danger in life wasn’t failing—it was never trying at all. Later that evening, I walked home through streets that looked different somehow, even though nothing had changed. The same buildings stood tall, the same cars rushed by, and the same cold wind brushed against my face. But inside me, something was different. For the first time, I asked myself a question I had never dared to consider before: “What if I’m stronger than my fear?” The thought was strange but powerful. The next morning, I did something small but terrifying—I spoke up during a meeting at work. Normally, I would have stayed quiet, letting others lead the conversation. But this time, my voice rose before my fear could stop it. My hands trembled slightly, and my heart raced. But I spoke anyway. To my surprise, people listened. No one laughed. No one dismissed me. In fact, a few of them nodded in agreement. It was a simple moment, but it felt like climbing a mountain. That day became a turning point. I began doing small things that once scared me—sharing my ideas, trying new experiences, and stepping outside the safe routines that had defined my life for so long. Each step felt uncomfortable at first, like learning how to walk again after years of standing still. But with every step, fear grew quieter. I realized something important during that time: fear doesn’t disappear overnight. It lingers, waiting for you to retreat back into safety. But courage isn’t the absence of fear. Courage is choosing to move forward despite it. Weeks passed, and life slowly opened in ways I hadn’t expected. Opportunities that once felt impossible started to appear. Conversations became easier. Decisions became clearer. The world hadn’t suddenly become less frightening. I had simply stopped letting fear control me. One evening, while walking home under a sky painted with shades of orange and purple, I paused and looked around. The city lights flickered to life, and people continued their endless journeys through the streets. For the first time, I didn’t feel like a spectator in my own life. I felt like a participant. That was the day I truly understood something powerful: Fear had never been the enemy. The real enemy was the belief that fear should decide my path. And the day I stopped letting it make my choices was the day my life finally began. Since then, fear still visits me from time to time. It still whispers its familiar warnings. But now, I answer back. I remind it that I’ve already faced it once before. And I survived. Because the truth is simple: The day I stopped being afraid wasn’t the day fear disappeared. It was the day I realized I was bigger than it.
By Khan 5 days ago in Chapters