These Familiars Are Strange - Chapter 236: Strange powers

[COMPLETE] Can a royal Romeo and Juliet find their happy ending?

Ayleth, Princess of Zenithra, is secretly trained in hand-to-hand combat, and collects swear words she doesn't know how to use. During the Festival of Peace, in which every royal son on the continent will be at the castle for a month, she is instructed by her parents to find a husband. Yet, Ayleth has never even been kissed—until the very first ball, when she meets the man in the Lion mask.

Etan is a seasoned warrior, and the Prince of Summitras. He attends the Festival hoping to find a powerful wife who will help him conquer the dark sorcery of their bloodsworn enemies, the Kingdom of Zenithra. But at the very first ball, he discovers the masked woman who captures his heart is the Heir to the evil empire.

Ayleth and Etan face an impossible battle. Will their love survive? Or will their parents' dark dealings keep them apart forever?

[Mature content. No sexual violence.]

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“You…” She stepped back. Then back again, her mouth dropped open. “You… You cannot be…”

“I am,” Etan said, and his hair raked back as he pushed his mask off his handsome face. So handsome her heart raced.

His hair was ebony black, his skin a warm brown that threatened to fade in in the winter months. He stared at her with glittering green eyes, over high cheekbones and a noble nose, his jaw tight and shadowed this late in the day. His chin was high over the pillar of his neck that she’d just touched with its hard lines and steel strength, so different to her own. And his chest... She gasped and covered her eyes. She’d humiliated herself revealing her stupid, childish curiosity.

“No, Ayleth. This changes nothing.”

“How can you say that? It changes everything!” She was horrified to realize she was crying.

“Ayleth, please.” His voice cracked on the plea and she stared at him, shoving her mask up and off, despite how it would pull her hair out of the beautiful twist the maid had managed for her.

His eyes locked on hers and she couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe.

She had met her One. And he was the son of her bloodsworn enemy.

She stared at him as he stepped forward again, offering both hands, palm up. “Touch me,” he whispered. “Hold my hands. This is real, Ayleth. I don’t know how it happened, but this is real. Please don’t deny it.”

She couldn’t resist. She raised a trembling hand to his cheek, letting her palm catch on the scruff of his jaw. He blew out a breath and put his hand over hers, and that jolt that happened whenever they touched shivered through her again.

“Please, Ayleth.”

“I cannot deny it,” she whispered.

In the midst of swirling possibilities, a question lingered in the air like an unspoken promise: “If you were given the chance to reset the beginning, what path would you tread?”Option One: To revel in the simple joys of life, finding solace in the embrace of solitude, for the paper-thin figure is the epitome of true love.Option Two: To journey into the realm of cultivation, seeking the secrets of immortality, striving to become a legendary sword immortal.Option Three: To immerse oneself in the world of martial arts, carving out a path as an unparalleled grandmaster, destined to reign supreme over all sects.Option Four: To traverse the realms of fantasy, experiencing rebirth as a formidable entity, ascending once more to the pinnacle as a divine sovereign.Option Five: To venture into the dark realms, mastering the arts of sorcery as the esteemed leader of the demonic sect.Option Six: To ascend the throne and rule over all, commanding an empire in the realm of fantasy, for in the divine dynasty, the desire to reign as emperor burns brightest.Amidst this array of choices, Chu Yuan declared with unwavering determination, “I crave the throne. I shall be emperor.”Yet, the system interjected, its digital voice tinged with skepticism, “Is it not preferable to live a simple life as a recluse?”“Is it not preferable to be emperor?” Chu Yuan retorted, his resolve unyielding.Silence greeted his response, an acknowledgment of his unwavering determination.“Congratulations, host, on selecting Option Six: to reign over all, in the divine dynasty of the supreme emperor.”[Divine Destiny Selection System is launching...]

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Kieran Silver is a young man who suffered from the deceit of his superiors. His outstanding talents and exceptional prospects to climb to the top of Zenith Online dismayed his superiors.

They invoked their influence to suppress his uprising, ultimately causing his demise. However, rather than perish, Kieran Silver receives a second chance.

A chance to dethrone one of the top 10 guilds, Golden Brigade. An opportunity to create an immortal legacy that would forever live on in players' minds. The ability to reach the zenith in both worlds!

However, as he is reborn, Kieran notices a few things that are different from what he remembered. Could it be that he has gone back in time, or is there an even deeper explanation and a larger power at play?

These questions will be answered, whether forcibly or inadvertently, as Kieran explores a seemingly driving force.

The advent of the Legendary Berserker begins!