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THE LAND OF DREAMS AND MONSTERS

Mc_No_Jutsu04
Harrold Orion—who prefers to go simply by "Orion"—has never been ordinary. Raised deep in the wilderness by his stern, enigmatic grandfather, Alexander Orion, he’s a boy forged by the blade and tempered in solitude. While others his age scrolled through their phones and joked in hallways, Orion was learning to survive—splitting wood, hunting game, sharpening steel, and memorizing ancient lessons whispered between the trees. His grandfather, a man seemingly carved from the very forest they inhabited, instilled in him a mantra of vigilance: "Weapons and skills are your friends, boy. Learn to wield them well, and you'll never be helpless. The Land of Dreams doesn’t allow one to stay idle." To Orion, “Dreamland” was nothing more than one of his grandfather’s strange delusions—a fantasy world born from old age and isolation. Monsters, crimson sands, fractured moons, and beasts that could kill with a growl. It all sounded like nonsense... until the day came when it wasn’t. On his eighteenth birthday, Orion wakes alone. No celebration. No cake. Just a note from his grandfather, pinned to the table with a rusted knife, telling him he’d be gone for a few days. Typical. Bitter and brooding, Orion buries his anger in routine—tending the garden, checking the traps, chopping firewood—all the chores that defined his strange, isolated upbringing. He ends the night with a makeshift celebration, a slice of bread topped with whipped cream and a flickering candle, before drifting into sleep, his mind filled with dreams of legendary heroes and the vivid worlds of his favorite fantasy novels. But when he wakes, he’s not in his bed.
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The Duke’s Bargain

“What did you say?” Félix asked. She repeated, “Name your price.” “What is that supposed to mean?” His voice had tapered off with an unreadable emotion that got her weak in her knees, but she held out her chin. “Didn't you once offer to pay me off? Now, make me an offer I cannot refuse. Otherwise, I will go in there"—she gestured toward the Ball—"and make everyone think you dragged me out here to take advantage of me. I know exactly what that would do to your reputation.” “Say. That. Again,” Félix said through gritted teeth as he inched closer to her. ====================== She hadn’t meant to upset him or, worse, blackmail him. She didn’t even know who he was; she only knew he looked important because of how regally he stood in the moonlit dark. Estella was the baron of Cleverdale’s youngest, born into a hard life and always kept on her toes. Her stepsisters hated her. The baroness loathed her. And her father, the only one she called family, shattered her heart when he sold her to Viscount Alistair Ravensdale to cover up his misdeeds. The night of Lady Agatha’s ball, she seized her chance and ran straight into … Duke Félix of Chateaûbriant. In the dark, he mistook her for Princess Coralie, his fiancée, and kissed her. When the moon revealed her face, something about her stuck with him. He couldn’t shake the image of her running wildly or how she smelled like white lotus with hardcore roots. But when she threatened his reputation, he refused to play along. She returned to her world of cruel sisters and an unwanted engagement. What she hadn’t prepared for was the Duke arriving at her doorstep, making two outrageous claims. One. He was the Duke of Chateaûbriant. And two. She had stolen something valuable from him that night. What had she stolen without knowing it? Or worse, what could he possibly demand as repayment? ✯Like it? Add to Library!
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