Ziros, a king who had no remorse in killing every witches. Indeed, a man who had taken a liking of watching their dead bodies remained unburied and unthetered to the ground. However, the witches had fled and disappared without any trace before she could annihilate their kind. Asteria, a witch whose blood contributed to the magic that causes every witch to glamour themselves in order to survive had unknowingly met the king and instead of killing her, made her his prisoner. Asteria will free herself no mater what. But will she be prepared to face of what awaits her on her daunting task of escape, or will her soul be reaped by Ziros before she could even grasp her freedom by her own hands.
Asteria has been living in shadows until that one fateful day that will inevitably change her life forever.
A flash of lightning illuminates through the dark sky. A clap of thunder reverberates through her body, the harsh wind billowing her hair, and heavy raindrops obscuring her vision. The surface of accumulated water ripples as each drop reaches the surface of the earth.
This can't be happening.
How did the king found her?
Had he found the others as well?
Never did she remember sprinting for miles in her entire life. The adrenaline in her body works on its way through her senses. She looks back. Her feet unable to stop. Desperate for her prayer to be answered, she almost rejoiced as the silhouette of the man pursuing her disappeared.
A feint.
Witches like her knew better that the devil is not an easy one to be outrun. Devils know how to lure their prey. She can't lose her guard. No, she won't let herself, not until she could finally make sure to get through this until dawn. If it weren't for her knowledge of the landscape of the woods, her blood would have pooled underneath the king's shoes by now, watching her insignificant body slowly being leached out of color and life.
With every step of her foot, the fatigue made her body significantly heavier that she had to drag herself up with sheer willpower. However, she already reached her limit. She could not hold herself up for any longer. Asteria came to a halt when she found a huge oak tree. The place where she used to spend most her time with. Asteria hides herself with it.
Funny how serene her life is spending her mornings and afternoons in the very same tree. And now at the same spot, she is hiding and cowering with fear, seeking for a temporary solace from her nightmare. She catches her breath, calming the erratic beat of her heart. This time, she gives herself to think numerous thoughts that have been trying to resurface in her mind relentlessly.
Unlike other witches, she was born without powers, only with a peculiar blood she innately had. If she had been blessed to have one other than her quirk, she would have used it well against the king. However, she wasn't born and trained to fight, but only to hide as what fate demanded.
Witches are born to hide their identity and never to show entrails of their body that could provoke the king towards finding everyone of them.
But what had gone wrong? Had the king caught someone of their own and coerced to tell him their locations?
Asteria closes her eyes for the thought itself is maddening. She could not help herself but feel betrayed. On the other hand, she couldn't blame if that person did. The witch must have been in distress in finding her own survival just like she is.
But, knowing the king, even if the witch had spoken out the truth with her life at stake, there would be no guarantee that the king would leave her unscathed. It's a mistake she had overlooked, and that single mistake will lead them to their own demise. To their annihilation.
If she were to speculate if truly one or a few of them spoken out of, it wouldn't just be their location she had confessed, but the secret that witches had sworn to protect until death. Her heart starts beating in an unnatural speed as terror creeps in just by knowing that the king may have known their secret all this time.
It is true indeed that she has no powers and can easily be beaten to death with just by a mere flick of magic, but her blood is the very reason that the witches had been able to hide themselves for years, and had learn to blend in with the mages as disguise. This way, they were able to live in a discreet way that they had fully accepted, in exchange of their survival.
Being in the currrent dire situation she is in right now, hiding from the king, the possibility that he knew their secret is highly probable. That's why he's after her.
The cold breeze of air grazing her skin painfully that she could not help but shudder. It only sinked in to her that her body was just barely covered with her undergarments. She hugged herself hoping that her freezing body would cease from shaking too violently.
Her Aunt.
The sudden burst of fear transcended, knowing that her aunt might have been caught too. Her eyes glistened at the thought of her aunt's life been put up in danger or worse, had already been killed. Overwhelmed with the whole ordeal, a tear started to form through her eyes. Asteria felt frustrated and disappointed to herself.
If only she had obeyed her aunt's warnings that had always shrugged off, fate might have been kinder to her than it ever was.
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”
Lyric had spent her life being hated. Bullied for her scarred face and hated by everyone-including her own mate-she was always told she was ugly. Her mate only kept her around to gain territory, and the moment he got what he wanted, he rejected her, leaving her broken and alone. Then, she met him. The first man to call her beautiful. The first man to show her what it felt like to be loved. It was only one night, but it changed everything. For Lyric, he was a saint, a savior. For him, she was the only woman that had ever made him cum in bed-a problem he had been battling for years. Lyric thought her life would finally be different, but like everyone else in her life, he lied. And when she found out who he really was, she realized he wasn't just dangerous-he was the kind of man you don't escape from. Lyric wanted to run. She wanted freedom. But she desired to navigate her way and take back her respect, to rise above the ashes. Eventually, she was forced into a dark world she didn't wish to get involved with.
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
Caught in a web of betrayal, Nicole's life shatters in a single evening when her mother-in-law, Veronica, sets her up in an elaborate scheme. Blindsided, Nicole faces her husband Taylor's cold rage as he casts her out of his life and home, accusing her of infidelity and theft. As she tries to defend herself, her best friend, Sarah, adds another blow by denying their loyalty. "Please, Taylor, you have to believe me!" Nicole pleads, her voice breaking, but his icy response is a dagger to her heart. "I don't hate you, Nicole," he sneers. "I despise you." When Nicole reveals she's pregnant, she hopes for compassion, but it only fuels Veronica's determination to rid the family of her. After signing the divorce papers, a dejected Nicole wanders alone, where a brutal attack leaves her bleeding, helpless, and desperate to protect her unborn child. Six years later, Nicole returns from the ashes to inflict seven times the pains upon those who humiliated her and left her to die. "I'll make them pay so dearly that they'd regret ever been born!" She declares. This is a story of romance and revenge you don't want to miss!
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”