Duality of Shadows - Chapter 941: Birth

There were three rules to working for CEO Karsten Chevalier.First, bring his coffee brimming hot and black like a starless night.Second, park your attitude outside his office door—his broody demeanour has the room covered.Third, never say ‘No’ to whatever he demands. Not even when he asks you to become his fake girlfriend?(Synopsis)Arata's fiance dumped her through a text on the day of their engagement party. The reason? She is too curvy for his taste!He only entertained her because of her prestigious family name.“Do you think men want a fatso like you? You're nothing without your family's name!”A heartbroken Arata sets out on a journey to discover herself without revealing she is the daughter of a billionaire. She moves to another city, away from her beloved family.‘How dare he insult me? I love my curves and I will show him.’ Arata is not a damsel; her parents have raised her strong, and now it is time to become independent.Her heart is ablaze with newfound goals.One: to see how people will treat her if she acts like an ordinary girl and hides her identity.Two: to bag a bigger fish than her stinking—joke of an ex-fiancé.She will prove that a man will genuinely love her irrespective of her curves and surname!Arata's new life begins as the secretary of Karsten Chevalier, the CEO of a multinational clothing brand who is renowned for his dashing personality and enigmatic persona. Not much is publicly known about this man.Doused in mystery, the man has his own goals and hidden agenda which will topple Arata's world.Unfortunately, Karsten's handsome face becomes a punching bag in Arata's mind because of his ruthlessly demanding personality and ego larger than Mount Everest.Arata eases her frustrations by going to meet Twisted Rider, the currently popular yet mysterious, masked internet sensation.Both tangle under the sheets and he becomes her safe space as she complains and opens up about her boss.“Will you act as my girlfriend?”Karsten's proposal to become a fake girlfriend for his family events surprised Arata!How will Arata juggle the piling demands of her boss, her own heartbreak and the seduction traps of the masked man she loves to watch in her spare time?Will sparks fly between Arata and her colder-than-Arctic ice boss? Or, will she continue to complain to the masked man that her boss probably has a small PP?This is my entry for WSA 2025, please support it with your power stones.The book is a sequel to my previous novel “The CEO of My Dreams Returned To Me.” But it can read as standalone.A special thanks to Author Hansora for the overwhelming support and encouraging me to publish this book and helping me with the book cover.Want to chat or have any questions regarding the book? Find me on Instagram, Facebook and Discord with the same name.

Xander Nyxon was born with a gift: the ability to lift the veil of sleep and travel to the world beyond. He is one of the few rare individuals who can enter dreams and nightmares at will.

While most Dreamwalkers ply their trade on the Dreamscape, Xander Nyxon is one of the reckless few who travels to the Nightscape seeking answers from the deceased. However, walking through nightmares is a perilous task even for the most experienced Dreamwalker.

A thin veil separates the real world from the realm beyond, holding the terrors of the Nightscape at bay. But things quickly go wrong when a group of cultists cause the wall between the worlds to crumble. What happens when dreams and nightmares merge with the real world and twisted Ethereals start clawing their way out of the Nightscape?

***

Xander was lifted off his feet and pushed back several paces. He desperately tried to get back on the ground, but his legs kept dangling mid-air.

“I knew you’d be coming,” the mysterious figure whispered, pulling his hood back to reveal a hideous face riddled with scars. He was blind in the left eye and all his teeth were grimy black.

“What the hell are you freaks up to?” Xander growled, desperately trying to break free from the cultist’s grasp. “Who are you guys?”

The cultist smiled at this and replied, “Our names are inconsequential, Dreamwalker. But I think you already know what we are up to. Our world is plagued by sin. It is time for it to be cleansed by the Dark Deity’s blessing!”

What to expect?

1. Dungeons.

2. Magic.

3. Creatures from folklore, myth and fantasy.

4. A level-up system with skill upgrades.

5. Mystery and adventure.

……………………………………………………………

Dear readers! Without any ads, maybe you will prefer .

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

Kent is an ordinary wizard in the Sky family wizard school, and his wife Thea also works as an elder in the same school. As Thea is moving out to the elder barracks, she kicks Kent out of the house and puts the house for sale.“You are just a piece of waste who couldn’t earn a silver.” Thea’s last words still lingering in Kent’s soul. (It’s not like Kent is a lazy guy who escapes studies. Most of Kent’s meridians were locked down by a curse.)Suddenly on the same day, Kent received a Raven from his maternal aunt. “Are you really my aunt?” Kent questioned with a doubtful gaze. “Yes, Kent… I have sent 5000 gold and Heavenly elixir to remove your meridian curse. Don’t mind asking me for more money. Your mom left a huge fortune for you.”From that moment Kent’s life changed as he brought a new flying pet equal to core disciples, new weapons, Villas, Fancy meals, and whatnot. Soon, his powers sore and he became a Supreme Arch Magus.