The Trembling World - Chapter 5

Akashi was a boy so beautiful it seemed the gods had sculpted him with a touch of mischief and a dash of fragility. He wasn’t handsome in the rugged, masculine way of knights or warriors. No—his beauty was softer, captivating in its innocence. His frame was small, almost delicate, and his pale skin looked as if it had never known hardship, kissed only by the gentle sunlight of his village fields.With wide, striking black eyes that shimmered like obsidian under moonlight, and hair the color of a calm, endless ocean, Akashi possessed a charm that defied age, status, or reason. He didn’t know it, but his very existence pulled at the hearts of those who saw him—like an untouched gem waiting to be claimed.And yet, he had been untouched for a reason. Akashi had never known life beyond the boundaries of his village. He grew up surrounded by warm smiles and familiar voices. Every elder knew his name. Every child wanted to play by his side. His days were simple, his heart untouched by cruelty.But peace is a fragile thing.One night, it shattered.The sky turned crimson. Screams tore through the quiet air. Fires devoured homes. Demons—twisted beasts of shadow and rage—descended without warning. They killed with a hunger that could not be reasoned with.By morning, the village was gone.Ashes, corpses, and silence were all that remained.And Akashi… Akashi was alone.The last heartbeat in a graveyard of memories.He wandered for days, hollow and dazed, until rough hands seized him. Chains replaced freedom. Smiles were replaced by cold appraisals. And so, the boy once adored by all became something else—something to be sold.A slave.At the capital's grand auction house, he was stripped, washed, and displayed like merchandise. His beauty caused a stir. Whispers spread like wildfire.“Look at those eyes...”“That hair... Is it dyed? No, it’s real...”“So delicate... Is he even human?”To them, he was no longer a boy with a heart, but a prize to possess. A fantasy in fragile form.He stood on the stage, trembling slightly, barely able to process what was happening. The voices of the crowd blurred together—hungry, leering, filled with desire and greed. The auctioneer’s booming voice called out the bids as if Akashi were nothing more than a fine vase or a rare jewel.The numbers climbed quickly. Too quickly. Akashi’s knees weakened beneath the weight of invisible eyes drinking him in. He stared at the marble floor, trying not to cry.Then, suddenly, the room fell silent.A voice—deep, commanding, and heartbreakingly beautiful—cut through the air like silk over steel.“Fifteen thousand gold.”Time seemed to pause.Every head turned.At the back of the room, standing beneath the golden chandelier, was a woman unlike any other.She wore a flowing red gown that hugged her form like it was crafted by the gods themselves. Her long, golden hair shimmered like strands of sunlight, cascading over her shoulders with effortless grace. Her eyes, cold and blue as a glacier’s heart, stared ahead with quiet power.Even the nobles drew back. This was no ordinary bidder.It was one of the Princesses of the Three Great Kingdoms.Whispers erupted anew—but no one dared challenge her offer.Who would?She stood like royalty incarnate, a goddess who walked among mortals, and she had just claimed Akashi as her own.The boy raised his head slowly, unsure of whether to feel fear or relief. His eyes met hers—just for a second—and something in his chest shifted. She didn’t smile. She didn’t leer. Her gaze was unreadable.But it was powerful. Absolute.And it made his knees weak for an entirely new reason.He didn’t know her name. Not yet.But she had bought him.And somewhere deep inside, something told him—his life was never going to be the same.

Before they got married, Laurent already knew that Dave Washington had another woman in his heart, yet she still chose to marry him because Dave had always been the one she loved. She loved Dave, but his heart belonged to another woman. It was said that this woman loved another man, who happened to be Dave's illegitimate half-brother. Laurent believed that having a child would secure their shaky marriage.Until one day, the woman Dave loved finally told him, “Actually, the person I love is you.”Laurent had devoted her youth and energy to this sensational and messy love story, only to helplessly watch it collapse. Heartbroken, she chose to divorce.She thought Dave's infidelity would make her easily give up on the house, car, and property during the divorce, with the only request being custody of their daughter. But to her surprise, Dave insisted that she was unfit to raise their daughter and refused to give her custody.In order to fight for her daughter, she embarked on a long and exhausting legal battle.She said to him, “You're so persistent—aren't you worried your lover is waiting for you anxiously?”Dave smiled and replied, “If you have time to worry about her, you might as well get a new lawyer.”In a fit of rage, she threw a cup of water in his face. “Dave Washington, you're despicable!”Yes, every lawyer she hired was bought off by him with large sums of money. Finally, disheartened, she gave up custody of their daughter and decided to leave the country to heal.But he sent someone to intercept her at the airport...

His whole life turned into a joke, when Leonardo Thawyne the proud son of Duke William Thawyne, came to know that he was not the real son but a swapped kid. And now to save his inheritance he would have to marry the real heiress.

Evangeline Rossador, a simple music teacher from a town, was content with teaching music to kids and having a garden in her home. But her whole life turned upside down when she was announced as betrothed to infamous cruel duke Leonardo as her father's last wish before dying.

They both were hardly accepting the fact that they were bound in a forced marriage when life played another game and she found herself standing in front of her died father.

Soon more deaths started to occur and they both find themselves standing in mid of many misunderstandings and conflicts.

How would this chaos be solved? And would they be able to find love in this politically enforced marriage?

“I asked what were you doing there?” she glared back at the roaring man who was trying to show his rights to her.

“I was dancing with the Earl Nickolas,” she replied, looking back in his eyes.

“Theodore go and bring the fingers of Earl who has dared to touch what is mine.” came the reply with an evil smirk.

“Now tell me, my dear wife,” he whispered as he came close to her, “which part of your body have he actually touched?

In the shadow of Silver Peak Mountain, the Winter Moon Festival approaches - a party where wolves find their true mates. For 18-year-old Lily Carter, being an omega means living on the edges of pack life, watching others find love while she expects to be paired with another forgotten omega. All her life, she's watched Luna, the Beta's daughter, receive admiration from everyone - especially from the Alpha's triplet boys who will one day lead the pack.But on the night of Lily's 18th birthday, which falls during the festival, her world shatters when her fated mate mark shows - linking her to one of the three powerful brothers. Now Lily must manage jealousy, dangerous pack politics, and her own insecurities as she tries to discover which brother is truly meant for her. As threats emerge from within and outside the pack, Lily discovers hidden strengths that show she's far more than “just an omega.” With three potential mates - the charming diplomat, the fierce warrior, and the thoughtful scholar - Lily's destiny is far greater than anyone could have dreamed.