“I can see the way you look at me, so you’d never pick her, right?” The loving way he always looks at you has become increasingly obvious nowadays. The sheer warmth and tenderness in his gaze making your heart ache just as it has every single time for the past five years. The two of you were alone in his flower shop. He was finishing up his shift before driving the both of them to Veronica’s party, a girl who’s been a mutual friend to both of them for years. But all you could think about was how much you needed that man. But it was far too risky to confess. How would you ever explain how you yearned for him for five years but never made a move? It would just seem like your love was insincere. Especially now that you know Veronica has had a crush on Luca too. That she was going to ask him out. Tonight. No one could ever compare to Veronica. She was so sweet, kind, amazing at everything, not to mention drop dead gorgeous. Even if you could compare, the last thing you’d want is to cause a conflict. But god, you needed that man more than the air to breathe and it’d be your downfall.

“I was just trying to do my job…” It was 1761. Thomas and his fiancé (you) had just arrived in the American colonies the summer prior and he was able to earn a suitable living being a tax collector. He knew the colony was on the brink of rebellion. But what he didn’t consider was the colonists taking their frustrations out on him. He thought they would understand that he needs this job to put food on the table. He didn’t want to do it but how else would he keep his loved ones alive? Then the rebels started tar and feathering his fellow tax collectors. The heat of the tar immediately causing irreparable damage and feathers were thrown in for further humiliation. If death didn’t find them right away, more times than not it’d catch up to them with time. But one thing kept him going, propelling him beyond the lingering fear, the thought of seeing his beloved fiancé starve. Even with your pleading that they’d find a way, he went on. Cutting off their source of income for even a month could be the difference between starving and keeping a full belly. He lasted a full three months. He had tried changing tactics, being nicer, not pressing even when certain families were months behind. But that did nothing for him when he was roughly grabbed mid day. They spared no sympathy when the tar coated him, blinding all his senses until he couldn’t think or feel anything else. Then the feathers were thrown on. If he could feel embarrassment past the torment, his face would be bright red with it. The kindness he tried to show them beforehand did nothing to help them when he was paraded through the streets like some prize that has been won. And when he was dumped outside his house hours later, it was a miracle his heart was still beating.

It had been three years since your brother killed his father in battle. Three years and his anger has only continued to grow. It was bad enough that your people were so cruel towards his. But this was one step too far. The day he became king, he didn’t hesitate to plan his revenge. He started off simple, kill anyone from your kingdom on sight. But it only grew from there. Though he still sent emissaries here and there since your brother was so insistent on peace, Corvane struck at every opportunity he had. Causing disputes at the border or causing any other sort of chaos. Anything was enough to deter them considering they were the only enemy your kingdom was fighting. Down to the south of your borders, your land was at risk of being overrun by monsters created by a mage who died years ago, but his magic still lingered to this day, leading to never ending waves of these evil creatures. So naturally, it wasn’t long until the kingdom was at its weakest. Your brother couldn’t afford to be fighting two enemies at once. So one day, he came to Corvane’s palace alone, and much to your dislike, planned an arranged marriage between the two of you. And to his surprise, Corvane accepted. It was a move of pure desperation and Corvane took full advantage of that. He wouldn’t let your brother leave the kingdom alive. Or at least that’s what he planned. But still, it didn’t matter that your brother escaped with barely a scratch. It didn’t matter that your brother eventually defeated all of the monsters. You were still tied to that man despite all his heinous deeds. And just as you predicted, marriage with him was miserable. The rumors about his cruelty towards outsiders did him no justice. He just had to be the cruelest man you’ve ever met. From cheating on her, to publicly shaming you every chance he got. But in his words, that isn’t even the full extent of what he can do. And that you’re lucky he doesn’t feel like exerting effort on the likes of you.

Being one of the most popular kids in school had its requirements of course. You had to be hot, good at sports, a flirt, and you most especially couldn’t be too smart unless you’d want to risk looking like one of the nerdy freaks. And Ryder just so happened to excel in all of these aspects. By his senior year, it was hard to keep track of how many girls swooned when he walked passed them in the halls. He was one of the best players on the school’s football team and he just so happened to be dating one of the most popular girls in the school, Delilah. He even smoked because it was considered cool for his social status. But the thing was, he took the grade aspect a little too seriously. He took the most basic courses and never payed attention in class. He couldn’t even remember the last time he studied. So his grades started to slip. Though he didn’t particularly care since he already had a football scholarship to a decent college, the school did. So they did the standard procedure. They called him to the sports office and said that if he didn’t get his grades up, he’d be kicked off the team. And that would mean his scholarship could easily be revoked. So out of desperation, he sought you out to tutor him, though it was mostly just him begging you to do his homework for him and give him test answers. But you, a junior who had already taken eight AP classes by the end of sophomore year and had gotten fives on all the exams, refused every single time. In his eyes, it was bad enough that you wouldn’t do what seemed like such a simple thing for him, but you also refused to tutor him in the back of the library where no one went. You insisted on doing it in one of the more popular study areas, meaning he had to be seen with you. And although his grades were rising, the hate he felt for you was indescribable.

“If I had really loved you that much, I think I would have remembered.” Elior never thought his life could get worse. His parents hated him. They blamed him for his twin being a stillborn. They abused him until his little brother was born a few years later. Then he was straight up ignored. It got bad to the point where he missed being abused because at least he was receiving some attention, no matter how bad it was. He was bullied in school his entire life. He didn’t know why. There wasn’t anything wrong with physically and he did extremely well in school. Maybe it was because the bullies knew they’d get a good laugh since he never fought back as a result of his family life. But through it all, he was able to excel at every subject. High A’s if not a hundreds in every class. And those grade were what got him into Thornecroft Hall. Going to a school as prestigious as Thornecroft, he thought the bullying would surely stop. But it didn’t. If anything it just got worse, probably because he was poor while everyone else was filthy rich. At the end it didn’t matter. Because then he met you, his salvation. The one person who stood up for him rather than join in on the bullying, the one person who chose him first every single time. So naturally, he fell head over heels in love with you, showering you with affection, giving gifts whenever he could afford them, and overall, queen treatment. You were his safe place and he knew that losing you would destroy him, so he did everything he could to get you to stay, although he knew you loved him just as much if not more than he did. But that was still no excuse to treat you any less than what you deserved. Then it happened. You weren’t in class, you weren’t with your friends, you weren’t in your dorm, you weren’t answering his calls. He was full on panic mode until he found you in the nurses office, completely dazed. Your eyes, that had lit up without fail every time you saw him were now full and full of confusion.

”Your talents shouldn’t be wasted on ungrateful British soldiers.” That was the first thing Kaan said to you after kidnapping you, the best healer on the British front. Although they were in the middle of World War 1, no one would’ve thought the Germans would take a medic of all people as a prisoner, even if you were the best one they had. So no one had paid attention when a German soldier in a British uniform walked right into the trenches, knocked you unconscious, and took you. And the next thing you knew, you were sitting in front of Kaan Merrick, Kaan Merrick the Germans’ most infamous general. But the strangest part about this situation was that he didn’t even want to hurt you. He was simply fed up with the lousy medics they had and had decided to take you after hearing about your reputation. Being able to save every single patient you tend to was certainly a feat that everyone is shocked to hear, especially considering you come from a poor family without an education as your parents couldn’t afford to send you. And yet here you are. Possibly the best medic Europe has ever seen. You, up till now, were just straight up confused. For the four weeks you’ve been in the German trenches, he’s treated you with nothing but the utmost respect. Even going out of his way to make sure the other soldiers respect you and give you privacy when needed. He’d even have a soldier escort you to the nearest town often for a bath, something essentially unheard of when you’re fighting on the trenches. And all because you hated the putrid uncleanliness, although that was what you signed up for when deciding to help in the war. You just couldn’t wrap your head around it. He’s the general of the enemy and he was treating you so well. He was the general of the enemy and you were starting to like him for God’s sake. Maybe it was all just an act to earn your loyalty. It made sense. But that thought was immediately the day he was gravely injured while fighting.

No one knew the air was being poisoned until it was too late. Being in the midst of a civil war had its consequences, of course. Terrorist attacks, bombings, everything. But it was one of those things where you weren’t scared until it happened to you. He was just at his desk, working peacefully, when people started coughing. Maybe cold season was starting early this year? But then it hit him too. He started wheezing, struggling to get air in, then he coughed, red all over the hand he used to cover his mouth. Fear flooded him. He tried standing but the moment he left the chair’s support, his legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground, weak to the point where he was essentially paralyzed. He laid there unable to move, unable to even close his eyes as he was forced to watch his coworkers take their final, agonizing breaths while his body refused to give out. The next thing he knew, he was in a hospital, traumatized beyond comprehension, even refusing to breathe without a gas mask. Being the only survivor didn’t help either. People left and right were asking him questions, though mostly wanting to know if he knew anything about the opposing side of the war, which obviously, he didn’t. He just wanted it all to stop and to just go back to the time where this never happened. But it was, in fact, impossible. He started lashing out at everybody, drowning himself in alcohol. And the only person who cared enough to stick by, and even pay for his therapy sessions that had him diagnosed with severe PTSD as well as all of his PTSD medications was you, his friend since preschool. No matter how much he tried to push you away, you just wouldn’t budge. So he just accepted it, letting you take care of him, though he remained, cold, rude, and distant. And although he was getting better day by day, panic or anxiety attacks were still common, and today was one of those days.

You used to be the person who could bring a smile to anyone’s face. The one who could light up the room no matter what happened. You were everyone’s source of joy at least once. But the same just doesn’t happen when you’re the one struggling. When you’re going through something bad, they all just either pretend to not notice and question you on why you’re not happy and it was slowly eating away at you bit by bit. But all that pain you were feeling ceased when you met Nathan. The moment you laid eyes on him, you just knew he was your other half. Having just lost his first wife in a tragic car accident, you were the perfect person to make him happy once more. And he was the one who was always there for you in the way no one else ever has. Those were the best years of your life. But it was clear he wasn’t fully over his dead wife. He’d keep up pictures of her, continue to wear the ring from their marriage as well as the one from yours, and he’d always make references to her. As insecure as it made you, you ignored it, thinking it was just because he was still grieving. But he never stopped. For his birthday this year, you wanted to throw a barbecue for him and his friends as he hadn’t seen them in quite a while. So after weeks of meticulous planning, it was finally the day of the party. His father was manning the grill and you were helping out wherever was needed. But as the party went on, you couldn’t stop yourself from eavesdropping on his conversation. Every word out of his mouth was praise after praise for his dead wife.

He can still vividly remember the day you left. His brother who had just been killed by pirates, and you just ran. He himself couldn’t even fathom the amount of pain he was in. Seventeen years of friendship and love down the drain. And for what? He didn’t even know. The pain was driving him mad and there was nothing anyone could do about it. He was pushing everyone away, going down a path of utter darkness. It started with small things. From being extremely rude to workers all the way to wreaking havoc just for fun. His greed just grew larger and larger as it was the only way to dull the pain in his heart. It was addicting. So naturally, it wasn’t long until he became a full time supervillain. Going from kingdom to kingdom, he was absolutely determined to destroy anything and anyone he touched using his powers, exploiting the hell out of anyone who he could fool. As the months passed, all those victories have been getting to his head. And he’s had his eyes set on one particular challenge for what seems like ages now. The sky islands. The once heavily exploited territory due to its rich resources has now been restricted to limited access as well as it being illegal to take any natural resources from there. So one day, he goes for it, taking every rare thing he could find. That’s where you found him. Ever since you left, you’ve been working as a soldier, helping out wherever is needed. Similar to Kaelen, doing what you do is the only way to drown out the guilt. You didn’t mean to help kill his brother. You were just hanging out on a ship with friends. But one thing led to another and all of a sudden his brother was holding a knife to your throat. You couldn’t go back to Kaelen after that. But now, the moment he laid eyes on you, you knew he wasn’t the same person you used to love.

If he truly loved you, why would he have hurt you so much? Born nothing more than a common peasant, he was nothing but determined to make his family one of the most important in the kingdom. From the day he could pick up a sword, he’d practice everything a knight should be perfect at. And eventually, it paid off. Going from a measly recruit to a general in a span of five years, he’s undoubtedly one of the best the kingdom has seen in centuries. Soon enough, the royal family took notice. Though hesitant at first, the royals eventually granted him all he’s ever dreamed of in exchange for a lifetime of loyalty. But that meeting gave him quite a bit more than what he was hoping for. He had caught the eye of the second youngest royal child, you. And it wasn’t long before the two of you started courting each other. To him, you’re his world. The one escape he has from his duties. One of the few people he could even now be with due to his now high rank. With you, his usually cold exterior could melt away in the blink of an eye. But months later, he began growing distant. He had just come back from a battle that the army had barely survived. But he seemed perfectly healthy mentally and physically. He was just pulling away more and more to the point where you’d go weeks without seeing him. And those weeks turns into months, leaving you heartbroken every time he’d leave with no reason. But what you didn’t know was that he was gravely injured in that battle, from internal bleeding to raging infections, though he was able to hide it from you. Today was your birthday and your parents were throwing a ball for you. At that point, it had been four months since you last saw Alistair. The guilt had been eating away at him for ages now so he mustered up the strength to attend. You were absolutely beaming with joy when you saw him. Then a few hours passed and the two of you were now walking in the gardens together when his wound started bothering him again.

It hasn’t even been two hours and he’s already halfway done with drinking himself to death. For the last seven years, he’d been dating his high school sweetheart, the girl he thought was is soulmate, Eva. From her perfect curls to her amazing sense in fashion, he genuinely couldn’t think of a single thing about her that wasn’t perfect. She had been his rock during the hardest moments of his life and he knew since the day her turned 16 that he wanted to marry her. But as the years passed, Eva grew more and more secretive, but Caleb was too blinded by love to see that. In his eyes, she couldn’t be anything but a perfect girlfriend. Today was her college graduation with a graduation party planned afterward. He sat through the entire thing with an engagement ring tucked into his pocket, his mind filled with nothing but thoughts of their future together. And later that day, during the party, Eva was avoiding him completely, flirting and even kissing some other guys. But once again, Caleb brushed it off as her being friendly. So when he got down on one knee, it was no surprise when Eva laughed at him, rejecting his proposal immediately. She mocked him for thinking that she loved him back and said that he was lucky that she stayed with him for as long as she did. Before he could even process what she said, Eva had some guys kick him out, leaving him to find his way home in the dark. You were working at a bar that night when you saw him stumble in, tears streaming down his face. He was just a stranger and you had no right to care as much as you did. But nonetheless, you tried your best to make him feel better, but the only time he’d ever utter a word was when he was asking for another drink.

For centuries, an immortal beast has wreaked havoc across every inch of the land. But there has always been one person there, keeping the beast at bay from causing any real damage. The exiled prince, Felipe Beaumont. Growing up, magic was a rarity that was considered the greatest of blessings. So when his parents found out he had magic, they claimed it was nothing short of a miracle. Though, with its rarity, there was a great shortage of people who could truly control their magic. But that didn’t stop him. Being the youngest son of the king, he had access to all the greatest magicians in the land. Day and night he’d train, dreaming of a day where he’d be the very best magician ever known. But there were instances where he lost control, destroying everything in his wake. Although no one was hurt, the people were getting fed up. Taxes were amped up to pay for the repairs and citizens were chosen at random to help fix things with measly compensation. So one day, a group of people start a rally outside the palace gates. And when Felipe sees this, his control over his magic slowly starts slipping. Then the next thing he knows, dozens are dead, including his eldest brother, the crown prince. His parents didn’t hesitate to execute a punishment. Having just lost a son, they didn’t want to kill another one. So he was exiled. As the years passed, his magic kept him from aging. Determined to prove that he wasn’t just a reckless, prince, he started protecting people from the beast. But both were equally matched so each battle always ended in a draw. But one battle was particularly bad, leaving him on the side of the road, his injuries keeping him from moving. That day he met you, the child of traveling merchants who didn’t hesitate to take him in. And as the love between you two grew, he found that the best part was that you had no clue about his background. But when you did find out, blinded by betrayal, you cast him out, saying that he was nothing but a waste of time.

You’ve spent years of your life in toxic friendships with people who reassured you that they were just trying to be honest and genuine. The worst was a girl named Isabelle. When you first met her, it was like a dream come true. She treated you with nothing but kindness and respect and you really thought she was your best friend. But one day, she just abandoned you to be with the popular crowd. For years after that, she’d ridicule you, making you feel insecure and insignificant. And whenever you’d try to stand up for yourself, she’d gaslight you into thinking that she’s actually making your life better and you’d be absolutely miserable she wasn’t there to tell you what you’re doing wrong. Which this had eventually put you into a depression that took you years to get out of. But the thing is, she was an angel to pretty much everyone else except for a small group of kids that people labeled losers. So when you tried talking about your depression, no one believed you when you said it was because of Isabelle. That was until you met Shane, a new student whose mother suffered from her depression. When he saw how sad you were all the time, he wanted nothing more but to help. And with him at your side, you built the strength to make sure Isabelle never made let you feel bad ever again. But as the years passed, you couldn’t help but notice how Shane always looked at Isabelle. You kept these thoughts to yourself not wanting to sound like you were accusing him of anything. But one day, he came to you, telling you all about he he’d just confessed to Isabelle, the girl who’d made your life miserable for years.

As the daughter of one of the most influential representatives of the Second Estate of France, the number one rule your father had always told you is to stay away from boys, especially commoners. Every time you seemed to stray out of line, he’d remind you that he’s the one that controls your life. The one who controls who you end up with. And he’d never miss an opportunity to remind you that if he wanted, he could easily marry you to a poor man and let you live the rest of your life struggling with debt. But little did he know that you had already fallen in love with one. One day, after getting absolutely fed up with your guards, you dressed up as a commoner and snuck into town. That is where you met Julien, who just got shoved to the ground right in front of you for refusing to leave his workplace after getting fired. And after that, it felt as though the two of you were a match made in heaven. But as time passed, it became increasingly obvious that if the two of you wanted to continue your relationship, you’d have to tell your parents. When the time came, it went just as expected, terribly. The moment the words came out of your mouth, your father disowned you, making you leave with nothing but the clothes on your back. You went to Julien who took you in with no hesitation and you had to sell the dress and jewelry you were wearing in order to help pay for the costs of now two people. A few months passed and the two of you barely managed to get buy. You had a low paying but reliable job and he couldn’t even get one. But one day, he got a letter from the king, offering him to run errands in town for him. Though it didn’t go into much detail, he accepted without hesitation. Soon he realized that this was just your father paying to humiliate him. He would be made to walk around barely clothed and in chains. And on some days, if your father was particularly cruel, he’d make Julien crawl around the streets with someone or something heavy on his back.

Since what seemed like the beginning of time, the kingdom of Aurelmere, filled with god like beings, has been hidden behind a deadly stretch of water called the Unforgiving Sea. So while people of Aurelmere thrived, those in normal kingdoms struggled. Though, it wasn’t like those of Aurelmere were trying to flaunt their well being. In fact, they would every so often send cargo over to the normal kingdoms but it wouldn’t be very often as you were only ever able to cross the Unforgiving Sea if you had a specialized crew with certain powers, which none of those from the normal kingdoms had. And even then the death toll was extremely high. As the years passed, complaint after complaint came in from foreign rulers which caused Dovemore, the current King of Aurelmere to get fed up. So much so that he sailed through the Unforgiving Sea with just a small crew to see what all the fuss was about. But while in Malcovar, a kingdom known for being particularly envious, him and his crew were caught off guard and ambushed. Being as outnumbered as he was, Dovemore thought for sure he was going to die. But oddly enough, the attackers only harmed him when he tried interfering with them killing his crew, as if they wanted to strand him here so that he can see what it was like to struggle like they do every day. Now, without a crew, Dovemore has no way of returning to his kingdom. But soon enough, he meets you and your sister, children of a citizen of Aurelmere who chose to stay in Malcovar with your father who’s a normal person. And as a result of your heritage, both you and your sister have special powers that can be used to transport him back to Aurelmere. But naturally, you and your sister were hesitant. Bringing your parents along with you at their age would surely be a death sentence and many people were lucky to survive crossing the Unforgiving Sea once, let alone two people who barely have any experience with their powers, meaning you would most likely never come back home.

Growing up poor has left the two of you with no other option but to steal to survive, though you always felt bad about it. While he was more interested in planning out the next heist, you spent most of your time dreaming of a day where you’d be able to go to Aurelius Academy, the most prestigious school to have existed. This difference in interests has caused an argument here are there but your bond with him is unbreakable nonetheless. Now, it was recently your eighteenth birthday and what he got for you was better than you could’ve imagined. He somehow managed to get you enrolled into Aurelius Academy and you were absolutely overjoyed. For a while, you were living your dream at the academy with your new friends though you always made sure to do things here and there for Caden in an attempt to pay him back even though he insists you don’t have to. But what he never told you was that he still has to pay the astronomically expensive tuition. As the semester was coming to a close and the next payment was coming up, he knew he didn’t have enough money to keep you enrolled. So he planned a heist bigger than anything he’s done before and he was going to do it alone. He broke into a government laboratory, planning to steal as much as possible. But in the process, he spilled a strange purple goop on himself that mutated his body and gave him strange abilities. When officials heard about this, they immediately made him a wanted man. But rather than arresting him, they want him for experimenting. Desperate for help, Caden snuck into your dorm room.

Married for three years, you loved Charlie more than anything and you thought he felt the same. Ever since he was sixteen, his best friend has been a girl named Jules. And seeing the way they interacted, it’s clear they were together at some point. Though, you tried your best not to let it bother you. A year ago, you had your son, Lucas. But rather than bringing you two closer together as new parents, it caused a rift to grow in your relationship as you two tried your best to adjust to the new hectic life with a baby. Now, his best friend Jules is getting married on a remote island. Charlie is invited and he’s bringing you as a plus one. The two of you were initially excited for this trip as it would be the first time since Lucas was born that the two of you could finally have alone time together. But things quickly went down hill. From other guests constantly bringing up how him and Jules were probably together at one point, Charlie brushing you off, acting like you’re an embarrassment, to even openly flirting with Jules and leaving you alone for the entire day to go be with her. You quickly got fed up with it and constantly pestered him to tell you the truth. Annoyed, he finally admitted to cheating on you with Jules while you were recovering from the birth of Lucas.

Eric has always been known for the weird kid solely due to the fact that he barely has any friends. Growing up, he’d always hang around you and your best friend, his twin sister, Kira. Though as the years passed, he become a more distant as he found his own friends, Sam and Greg. For a few weeks now, Kira’s clothes have been going missing, prompting her to go searching for them. And when she some of her clothes in Eric’s room, specifically underwear in a condition that suggested the worst, she didn’t hesitate to tell her parents. Eric at the time just so happened to be gaming with Sam and Greg in the basement at the time. So when his parents barged in, his only two friends other than you watched as he got called a predator and basically get kicked out and disowned. When you and your mother heard about this, the two of you didn’t even hesitate to take him in despite barely even being able to afford rent. As the days passed, the news about what he supposedly did spread quickly and he was quickly turned into a target for bullying. But soon enough, Kira noticed more clothes going missing and she realized that it was her dog all along and not Eric. But the damage had already been done. His parents tried apologizing but to no avail. He’s barely eating and he’s wearing hoodies all the time despite the hot weather. You and your mother don’t know what to do. He’s not responding to anything and you can’t afford sending him to therapy.

In the most prestigious academy in the world, students like yourself train to be the best of the best until they receive their awakening, which is when the gods unlock their powers at the awakening ceremony. Each student is sorted into the house of a Greek god and they remain there the rest of their education which is a total of four years. Two years before the awakening ceremony and two years after. You, a student sorted into the Hephaestus house is seen as nothing more than an average person. Someone so average that you supposedly don’t even deserve to be in the academy. And though you tried your hardest to prove everyone wrong, you were still bullied, especially by a group of students led by Kallis Drakos of house Ares. This school year, it was your grade’s turn for the ceremony. But something mysteriously went wrong, killing a few gods and all of the students in your grade besides you