RE: Monarch - Chapter 253: Fracture LVIII

Fear breaks the boundaries between dreams and reality, and it is impossible to tell which is reality and which is illusory. When the nightmare really comes, no one can be alone.

This is both a danger and an opportunity.

- Description from novelbuddy

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

“Is this man not going to divorce me? Why does he still ask me to warm the bed every night?”

A certain man said this was due to the winter being too cold. However, when summer finally arrived, she still needed to warm the bed, thus a certain girl could not take it anymore:

“I want a divorce!”

A certain man only smiled wantonly and said, “Divorce? Sure, as long as you agree to two conditions of mine.”

“What conditions?”

“Either you pamper me or I pamper you, the duration is ten thousand years…..”

- Description from Novelupdates

It had been two years since their marriage. However, every time he had s*x with her, he always did it from backwards.

She was more than angry. “Sheng Youting! Why do you avoid my face every time when you had me? Is it because that you are afraid to see it’s me rather than my sister that you get laid?!”

“Are you asking me to look at your face when I’m in you? OK, as long as you can bear!”

He was like a beast and all she could do was to accept what he gave…

Yu Lan had loved Sheng Youting for 11 years despite no response from him. Inferiority became part of her when she was with Sheng Youting. However, when she found it was so hard to continue her unrequited love and finally decided to exclude him from her world, her heart ached extremely and it nearly cost her life. It turned out that her love had become a habit and if it was stopped, she won’t be a whole man.

- Description from Novelupdates