Empire of the Ring - Chapter 14

“Evil God of the Universe, You are in every space and time. Present in every dimension of reality and govern the darkness of our world.Oh, almighty Atticus! Hear our plea and grant us your presence tonight, awaken my Lord!”The rain had completely stopped and the strong gale had subsided into the fading raindrops. The night had turned eerily silent and only the sizzling and cackling of the fire entered their ears.Suddenly, they all felt like floating from their feet despite setting foot on the watery, hard ground, as if they were traversing into space. The darkness of the night gradually turned darker, enveloping them, morphing into everyone, like a void eating them slowly. Sequentially, their breathing turned oddly slower. Despite exaggeratedly inhaling air to breathe, it was to no avail, as if a higher entity was limiting them from breathing.Nolan felt his throat and tried to open his mouth to gasp more air but failed. Everyone but him was in a state of indignation and panic as they struggled to breathe to fill their lungs with air. Nolan tried to calm his heart. He closed his eyes and stopped inhaling air in pure panic, instead, he put his heartbeat and breathing into a rhythm. It was hard at first, but after a minute, he found his breathing gradually went stable.His whole being was in pure anticipation of what was going to happen next.After a couple more minutes, the storm completely subsided, the night turned to normal. Nolan remained standing, taking in his surroundings with his eyes closed. Everything turned silent. The eerie atmosphere and the crackling of the fire from the hay figure didn’t even enter his ears. Nolan waited for a couple more minutes, his breathing turning normal. He was reluctant to open his eyes, afraid he might ruin their ritual.“It’s alright now, Young Master. You can open your eyes now.”Nolan’s breathing hitched. He jolted on his feet as he fluttered his eyes open.“Atticus? W-why are you here?”The butler, standing in front of him, a raincoat hung on his arm, smiled. “I am everywhere, Young Master, in order to best serve you.”****Atticus, a demi-god from the underworld, was cast out of his parents' realm and banished to the human world. The reason? He had yet to give them any grandchildren.Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is purely the product of my imagination. Any resemblance to real people, events, or beliefs is entirely coincidental. The intention is not to disrespect or diminish any faith or tradition, but rather to explore ideas within a fictional context. Reader discretion is advised.

[Trigger Warning: This dark fantasy romance contains mature themes.]---BLURB:IN A WOLD OF FORBIDDEN LOVE AND HIDDEN TRUTHS, ONE WOMAN'S DESTINY WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING.Ovelia’s life is shattered when she is sacrificed by her family to secure peace between humans and werewolves. Bound to Ace, the future Alpha King, she enters a marriage built on duty, not love. But when Ace’s wolf chooses her as his mate, their fates become intertwined in ways neither could have predicted.As Ovelia navigates the treacherous world of werewolf royalty, she faces betrayal, kidnapping, and the lingering shadow of Ace’s past love. But the greatest danger lies within herself—a secret heritage that could destroy the fragile alliance between werewolves, witches, and elves. When Ovelia’s true identity is revealed, she must flee for her life, only to discover she carries a new hope for the future.With war looming and enemies closing in, Ovelia and Ace must confront their pasts and fight for a love that could unite their fractured world—or tear it apart forever.---

I am a holy knight. To be precise, I am the Church of the God of Light’s Sun Knight…in training.

The Church of the God of Light worships and serves the God of Light, and theirs is one of the three largest religions on this continent.

As the whole continent knows, the Church of the God of Light has the Twelve Holy Knights, and each one has his own unique personality and features.

To be the Sun Knight is to have shining golden hair, sky blue eyes, a compassionate nature, and a brilliant smile.

…even the Sun Knight-in-training is no exception.

The 38th generation of the Twelve Holy Knights have completed their term of office, yet the time for the 39th generation to take over is still far in the indefinite future.

The Judgment Knight is brash and easily angered; the Storm Knight and the Leaf Knight are always fighting nonstop, day and night.

Since childhood, the Sun Knight-in-training has watched the others grow from kids into adolescents.

What must he do in order to become comrades, who will fight through thick and thin for each other, with this group of “younger brothers”?

“Benevolent God of Light, may I ask when I will complete my training that has taken more than ten years?”

“A Virtual Dream Device? What the heck is this?”“Is it used for daydreaming? Nope, not interested.”“What? It could simulate reality at a hundred percent? I could live out half a year in one night's time and bring in a replicate of a real person?Hmm, pretty sweet I must say.”“I'll be the only one left in the world while the others are all gone in the first dream?”“Uhm, I'll like to bring in a female celeb at the pinnacle of her glamor, could I?”