The Sacred Ruins - Chapter 1: The Higanbana

Zhou Heng drank too much wine, and woke up to find that he had time-traveled, and there was a beautiful woman lying beside him. Just when Zhou Heng, a bachelor of ten thousand years, wanted to take charge, he suddenly discovered that this woman who had a relationship with him was called Sadako, and she was the Sadako in Midnight Ring.

Sadako is just Sadako, pretty and human, but the memories that come out one after another make Zhou Heng discover that his name is Takeo Saeki, and he is the husband of Kayako in the Grudge of the Great Evil Spirit.

Later, at work, Zhou Heng discovered that his female colleague had a strange identity. The daughter of his client, Mimiko Mizunuma, had always been very interested in him when she came into contact with him.

- Description from novelbuddy

A generation after the last Great War, the world prospers while leaving the BloodStar Empire sequestered and alone. However, things begin to change as the next BloodStar heir aims to make new allies in a world more willing to forgive her empire’s tragic past of violence. The beautiful and young Xenia BloodStar is a world-class beauty, a calculating politician, and an immensely powerful ki user. In an established world ruled by Master Families, will the Princess BloodStar use her beauty and power to elevate her empire on the world stage? Or will she follow in her mother’s footsteps of violence and war?Release schedule: At least one new chapter every Sunday at 9:00 AM CST. Thanks for reading :)

Welcome! If you want to jump in without any spoilers, feel free. Otherwise, here's a story primer, with a list of more specifics on what to expect from my work further below.Our story follows a fallen knight haunted by his past, in a world afflicted by war and supernatural wounds. Alken is the Headsman of Seydis, an executioner tasked by the divine powers of his homeland to hunt dark sorcerers, warlords, and traitors of all varieties, lest they drag the world into calamity.Once a paladin, this role ill suits him. Forced to cross lines that shake his beliefs, tempted by dark forces, and seen as an ill omen wherever he wanders, his path is often a bloody one. The longer he spends in the shadows of his world, the more he comes to realize just how many have been disenfranchised by the existent order. During his lonely battles through a land haunted by the restless dead and ancient magics, his journey becomes increasingly strange and personal.Enter a realm where the dead stir in every shadow and brooding demigods wage a millennia long war for a ruined heaven, where blessed knights wield gilded flames and sorcerers battle with weapons forged of their own souls. Enter a world of faustian alchemists, of saintly demons, and of time-weary elves.From Oathbreaker you can expect— A setting heavily inspired by Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Fromsoft games, and authors such as Michael Moorcock and Kentauro Miura. — A first person POV from an older protagonist who already knows a lot about his world’s history and cultures, who shares this information with the reader as it becomes relevant.— A mix of action adventure and quieter moments where the focus is on character development. Lore is shared piecemeal, usually only as it relates to a particular arc or character beat.— A heavy focus on mystery, both with the setting and the protagonist. The main character’s backstory isn’t shared up front, and a lot of the narrative involves learning about him a bit at a time, either from his own narration or other characters interacting with him.— A semi-soft magic system where many mages manifest unique powers tied to their own soul, or gain unique powers through eldritch pacts.— Romantic elements. These don’t crop up much until later in the story.— A variety of supernatural beings, such as elves, vampires, gargoyles, chimera, and trolls. Many are familiar, some are not, and most of the familiar ones have my own twists put on them.—Nobledark fantasy. This means that the world is often themed around tragedy and horror, but it’s not dedicated to being gritty. There are elements of high fantasy intermixed with the scarier stuff.—Episodic arcs. Each story arc usually has a specific locale and antagonist or set of antagonists, but certain overarching plots tie them together.— A long running narrative. I don’t have a specific projection of how long or how many arcs or books, but you should expect this to be equivalent to a long running serialized work.This is my first web serial! I hope everyone enjoys it. For trigger warnings, readers should beware that there are some heavy topics in here. When I think something might upset certain readers, I’ll put a warning in the author notes above a chapter. If I miss or overlook anything, feel free to let me know in the comments! I am currently publishing the same story on my wordpress, which is linked below and in my profile. I release three chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Thanks for reading!(I originally had a link to a wordpress, but I'm in the process of overhauling that space. It's not a priority since my readership is all here, but just in case anyone noticed and was wondering)

My brother* and I, from elementary school to university, had grown up together. We didn’t just get into the same degree, we’re also sharing the same dormitory room.

Others may think that our brotherly bond is close but in fact, without my knowledge, he actually had ulterior motives.

Finally, one day, his wolfish intentions were revealed.

I had thought that with my rejection, he would give up but…. This actually became the reason for him to openly tease me?

Ah, everywhere were traps.

Question: What to do if the person chasing me is too black-bellied?

Answer: The best solution —— Accept him.