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A Vow of Vengeance and Silk

On the morning of her wedding, Lady Seraphine Vaelis stands before the court in a gown of ivory silk, her hands steady despite the poison vials hidden in her sleeves. She has spent her life preparing for this moment, not as a blushing bride, but as a noblewoman raised on the art of subtle vengeance. Yet nothing could prepare her for the sight of her sister’s handkerchief, stained with Prince Tristan’s crest, fluttering to the marble floor at her feet. The betrayal is public. Brutal. Tristan doesn’t just reject her, he brands her a traitor, his smile sharp as the dagger he once gifted her. The guards drag her away as the court watches, her sister’s laughter following her into the dungeons. That night, a stranger emerges from the shadows of her cell. Prince Kaelan Dain, the exiled heir of the Thorn Court, offers her a choice: "Die a traitor, or live long enough to watch them burn." Seraphine chooses fire. Disguised as Kaelan’s bride, Seraphine enters the Thorn Court, a gilded nightmare of stitched lips and black roses. The courtiers smile with pearl-white teeth, their eyes hollow. The queen’s advisors never speak, their mouths sewn shut with silver thread. And Kaelan? He wears gloves at all times, hiding scars that glow like dying embers. Seraphine learns the hard way that the crown is no mere ornament, it’s a living thing, a parasitic horror that has consumed generations of royal heirs. It whispers. It hungers. And it has chosen her as its next vessel. But the crown isn’t the only monster in the court. Queen Lysara, who treats people like embroidery, something to stitch into pretty patterns or cut away when they fray. The Silent Blades, assassins with too many teeth and shadows that don’t move right. The First Daughter, a failed heir locked in the catacombs, her stretched face a grotesque mirror of Seraphine’s own. And Kaelan? He’s hiding something. Something that makes his hands shake when he thinks she isn’t looking. The deeper Seraphine digs, the uglier the truth becomes. Her engagement to Tristan was never about politics. She was bred for this, raised to be the perfect vessel for the crown. Kaelan isn’t just an exile. He’s the crown’s last surviving heir, fighting its influence day by day. The Thorn Court isn’t a kingdom. It’s a feeding ground. When the queen forces Seraphine to witness an "ascension" a living prince transformed into a hollow-eyed puppet, she realizes the crown doesn’t just want her body. It wants her rage. And her winnings. Seraphine’s skin cracks with emerald veins as the crown’s whispers grow louder. Tristan’s head on a spike, Kaelan kneeling at her feet, the kingdom hers for the taking. The only thing keeping her grounded? Kaelan’s scars, the ones that match hers. The garden’s heart holds the crown’s lifeblood, a pool of liquid darkness. To kill the crown, Seraphine must corrupt its source. But the cost? Becoming part of it. She plunges Pip’s dagger into the black water… and lets the void take shape. The Thorn Court collapses in on itself, its gilded halls now tombs. Seraphine emerges changed, her eyes flecked with black, her touch freezing. The crown is gone, but something lingers beneath her skin. Kaelan’s scars still glow. The roots run deeper than they thought. And in the ruins, something stirs… This isn’t a story about good versus evil. it is about what happens when the knife you wield against monsters start to feel like part your hand. And what will you sacrifice to keep it there.
Favyrytes · 10.9k Views
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Hogwarts: The Wizard's Eternal Life

As a survivor of war, Roger only learned magic to stay alive. Nicolas Flamel: "Then how about I teach you the method for creating the Philosopher's Stone and brewing the Elixir of Life?" "No, no. It's called eternal life, but the physical body decays terribly after a few hundred years, causing endless suffering. Can that even be called eternal life?" Roger shook his head. Voldemort: "I'll teach you the method of Horcruxes, splitting yourself into seven. You can be reborn even after death, how about it?" "No, no. To sever one's soul is to mutilate oneself. Even if it seems like rebirth, the Ship of Theseus, lacking continuity, is it ever truly the same me?" Dumbledore: "Death is not the end, but a new, great adventure. I'll teach you..." Before he could finish, Roger interrupted, "When there is still hope, choosing death is merely admitting powerlessness and escaping this world. And without hope, what difference is there from true death? No, thank you!" Grindelwald: "I will impart the art of prophecy to you, allowing you to anticipate your enemies, grasp the currents of the era, lead wizards to greatness once more, and then gather the strength of all wizards to sustain you alone for an extended existence, what do you say?" Roger Virgil, who was also a seer like him, thought about it seriously, but ultimately shook his head. "Just as I stand above this era now, new talents emerge in every generation. The world is vast and boundless. No matter how powerful I become, there will always be more powerful beings who will stand before me in the future. No one is eternally invincible, nor is anyone truly always victorious. Becoming too entangled with all beings is not the eternal path." Refusing the teachings of the last elder, Roger Virgil gazed at the starry sky: "...There is no path in this world. It seems I must forge my own." TL Synposis: Roger Virgil, a transmigrator from 21st-century Earth, finds himself reborn into the body of a ten-year-old boy in 1990 Kuwait, just before the Gulf War. After surviving the conflict through deception and strategic foresight, he is apprehended by the British Ministry of Magic for his actions involving Muggles and magic. Facing trial in the Wizengamot, Roger navigates the complex wizarding legal system, defended by a Ministry-assigned lawyer and ultimately judged by figures like Albus Dumbledore. Despite his talent and unusual abilities, including precognition, his survival tactics during the war draw scrutiny. Roger's journey continues as he enrolls at Hogwarts, seeking to understand magic and pursue immortality, while inadvertently drawing the attention of powerful figures like Voldemort and Dumbledore.
contact_8331 · 8.3k Views