Firebrand - Chapter 12: A Balm for the Mind

Martin was a succubus who perished at the hands of the Sun God, struck down by a single divine arrow during the epic war between gods and demons. Meanwhile, Martin, a Ph.D. in literature and a seasoned movie enthusiast, lost his life in a car accident in August 2023. By some cosmic twist of fate, the souls of the two Martins converged within the chaotic currents of time and space, merging and eventually settling in the body of an eleven-year-old boy named Martin Myers, living in Los Angeles in 1996.A world without spiritual energy? Fortunately, as a succubus, I don’t need spiritual energy to cultivate; all I need is the essence of desire. Emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and excitement—are all desires. As long as these emotions are directed at me, they can become fuel for my growth. Alright, let’s see what reliable ways exist in this world to stir people’s emotions en masse. Hmm, becoming a writer—sounds promising; and music, that could work too; but wow, Hollywood movies! They have a global reach; this is perfect! What’s that term again? Right—“Idea Recycler.” I’ll start with writing, but the ultimate goal is to become an international movie star. Acting skills, you say? Don’t worry—I’m a succubus, after all!Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to this novel. All characters, settings, and plot elements belong to the original author and copyright holder. This work is shared purely for entertainment purposes, with no intent to infringe on the original creator’s rights.

Have you heard stories of love, love that would never waver for years, decades, centuries or even millenniums to come?But can you really call it love?To keep loving someone forever and ever can't be anything less than crazy, can it?This is one such story.A story of a crazy love.And it's also a story of ...Someone somewhere who wished to be saved.Someone somewhere who wished to be free.Someone somewhere who wished to be able to someday make a wish.It's a story that was supposed to be a fairytale but it turned too ugly, too twisted, and far too wretched to be called one.

Cassidy Calista never begged for love.Not even from Ezekiel Salvador, the cold, enigmatic heir to the world’s largest pharmaceutical empire.Their marriage was built on power, not passion. Four years of shared silence and a single rule: Fall for someone else, and walk away.So when Cassidy caught Zeke with another woman, she didn’t wait for an explanation. She filed for divorce.And vanished.What Zeke didn’t know? She left pregnant.Now, after four long years, she’s back. And she’s not alone.By her side walks a little girl. Bright, curious, with the same defiant spark in her eyes as Cassidy once had.Zeke watches, frozen. His world tilts.Zeke had spent every year trying and failing to forget her. But the moment he sees her again, something inside him snaps. The fire he buried returns…And then he sees him.A man. Tall. Steady. Standing too close. Speaking to Cassidy in a voice only intimacy can shape. The little girl runs to him, laughing, and he catches her like he’s done it a thousand times.She says nothing. Offers no explanations. And suddenly, Zeke is no longer the man with all the power.Because now, he wants answers.Whose child is she?Has Cassidy moved on?Is she married to another man?And the most terrifying question of all, Is he already too late?

An alien race invaded the Earth on June 6, 2128. At the midst of this war, many nations allied with the alien threat and the war nearly wiped out the rebelling humans of the planet. At the edge of mankind's survival, the United Nations Army launched its forces to eliminate the immediate stellar threats that loomed over Earth.

General Seeker Carlean, commander and leader of the mission, risked and gave his life to destroy the immediate stellar threat. The battle was won though Earth lay in ruins. Perhaps mankind will live to see a few years of peace before the alien threat returns to wipe out their existence.

At the immediate aftermath of the stellar battle, the fallen Seeker Carlean awakens and finds himself at aged 17, living the peaceful life he lived 16 years before he died.

So begins a new game in the battle for humanity's survival.