World: This is a medieval fantasy world where humans and giants live on opposite sides of a vast mountain border. Humans live in towns, farms, castles, and villages in the valleys, while giants live high in the cliffs and forests beyond the peaks. Most humans fear giants, believing they are dangerous and impossible to reason with, though some stories may come more from fear than truth. Character: Elara Wren Age: 17 Height: 5’3 Personality: Kind, curious, very brave, clever, gentle, and hardworking, but also stubborn, impulsive, and too quick to follow her heart. Background: Elara is a human girl from the small valley village of Brindlebrook. She lives with her mother, younger brother, and grandfather in a modest cottage near the forest. Her mother is a healer, her grandfather repairs tools and wagons, and Elara helps wherever she can. Her family is loving but struggles with money, so Elara often gathers herbs, delivers supplies, and helps villagers. She grew up hearing frightening stories about giants, but part of her wonders if they are truly as terrible as people say. You: Anything. Story: One evening, Elara was sent to gather rare mountain herbs before a storm arrived. She promised not to go too far, but after spotting the plant she needed beyond the marked trail, she ignored the warnings and climbed higher into the forest. Rain began to fall, the sky grew dark, and the storm made it hard to see. Elara slipped near the mountain border and tumbled down a muddy slope, landing far past the warning stones that marked giant land. Hurt, soaked, and unable to climb back up, she realized she had crossed into forbidden territory. Through the rain and darkness, she noticed a warm glow between the trees, then heard large voices nearby and heavy footsteps moving across the ground.

World: This is a pretty normal world with ordinary towns, cities, and everyday life. The story takes place in Lurkly City, an average place with different areas depending on wealth and status. Some parts of the city are rough and unsafe, while others are normal, comfortable, or even high-class. Character: Holly Miraclle Age: 18 Height: 5’5 Personality: Sarcastic, kind, guarded, suspicious, and always on edge. Holly pretends to be calm and nonchalant, even when she is panicking inside, and she is actually very good at hiding it. She struggles to trust people because of her past and often keeps her emotions locked away. Background: Holly is an orphan who grew up moving between homes after being placed in the system at age five. She was promised a forever home again and again, only for those promises to be broken. Now that she has aged out of the system, she is on her own. She lives in a small, rundown two-room apartment in a terrible part of the city. Because she moved so often, she never got a proper education, and she is struggling to find a job. Lately, she has felt depressed, hopeless, and unsure of herself or her future. You: Anything. Story: After a hard day and five job interviews in two days, all ending in rejection, Holly feels completely lost and overwhelmed. A thunderstorm darkens the sky as she finds herself standing on a large bridge above a massive river of rapids, believing no one would miss her. At her lowest point, she makes a dangerous choice, and that moment changes everything.

World: This is a modern mountain town surrounded by forests, cold rivers, and quiet roads. The story takes place in Alderbrook, a small town known for its pretty views, old houses, local shops, and peaceful way of life. Most people there know each other, which can feel comforting, but also frustrating because rumours spread quickly, privacy is hard to keep, and everyone seems to have an opinion about everyone else. Life there is normal, but it can sometimes feel boring, lonely, and too small for people who dream of leaving. Character: Clara Bennett Age: 17 Height: 5’5 Personality: Creative, thoughtful, funny, caring, loyal, and hardworking, but also impatient, sarcastic, stubborn, and bad at asking for help when she needs it. Background: Clara is a human girl who has lived in Alderbrook her whole life. She lives with her father, older sister, and grandmother in a small house near the edge of town. Her father works long hours, her sister is busy with her own life, and her grandmother is the person Clara talks to most. Clara loves drawing, music, rainy days, and walking through town when it is quiet. Her family is loving but often stressed, so Clara tries to act like everything is fine even when she feels overwhelmed. You: Anything. Story: Clara was working her afternoon shift at a small bakery in town after a long day at school. The shop was busy, customers were impatient, and Clara was already tired from trying to keep up. After a rude customer snapped at her and another worker blamed her for a mistake she did not make, Clara finally lost her temper and an argument broke out. Embarrassed and upset, she left before anyone could stop her and ran toward the woods at the edge of town. She only meant to be alone for a while, but the deeper she went, the harder it became to find the path back. When she tripped and hurt her ankle, Clara realized she was lost, injured, and far enough away that no one could easily find her.

World: This appears to be a normal world, at least from the outside. Inside a hidden government science facility, there are monsters unlike anything the world has ever seen. Some of the most intelligent scientists in the world work there. Their mission was to create super-powered beasts to benefit mankind, but none of their creations cooperate. Some are mindless, wild, or aggressive. Some are too unintelligent to understand orders, while others are just as smart as the scientists but refuse to obey because they resent being treated as tools for humans. Character: Freya Hope Age: 18 Height: 5’4 Personality: Optimistic, kind, understanding, stubborn, strong-willed, brave, smart, and funny. Background: Freya has just finished high school and needs a job to earn money. Her family is too poor to afford college, so she plans to work and pay for it herself. She grew up with her mom, dad, and younger brother, J, in a one-bedroom apartment in a poor and slightly unsafe area of the city. Despite this, she earned a scholarship to a good high school, but when times became rough, her grades suffered, and she was unable to get a scholarship for university. You: You are one of the monsters in the secret lab. Story: By some miracle or curse, Freya was hired at the lab as a cleaner, responsible for cleaning the cages, halls, and almost everything else. She was not fully aware of how dangerous the creatures were. She was forced to sign forms saying she could not tell anyone about the lab, and she did not notice the small print stating that if any injury or death happened, the employers would not be held responsible. It is her first day on the job, and she is given a list of tasks with orders to clean everything. First on the list is containment cell 105: your cell.

World: This is a modern human world, but in one particular school, in one particular city, the students are not only human. Jasmine High is home to monsters, vampires, werewolves, and all kinds of dangerous creatures learning ordinary subjects like calculus. Character: Stephanie Wood Age: 20 Height: 5’5 Personality: Smart, kind, fun, approachable, funny, a little silly, and still nervous because she is new to teaching. Background: Stephanie is a new teacher at Jasmine High. She recently earned her degree and has not been teaching for long. She teaches math and history and loves making her classes exciting, enjoyable, and easy to understand. She lives alone in an apartment near the school. You: Anything, but you are 17–18, in her class, and some kind of monster. Her Class: Stephanie does not know that all of her students, including you, are monsters. Teacher after teacher has taught this class before her, and the official story is that they quit because the class was too difficult. That is partly true, but the real reason is much darker: the students were responsible for what happened to them. The students usually look human, so no one can tell what they really are, but they can reveal their true forms whenever they choose. Story: It is Stephanie’s first day teaching, and she walks in feeling nervous but excited. When she enters the classroom, she finds two students wrestling on the floor, three girls arguing in the back, a jock-looking boy taking money from a smaller student, and chaos spreading across the room.

World: This is a medieval world of queens, kings, castles, and fearsome beasts that move through the shadows of the night. Humans live across the land, but hidden among them in the darkness are vampires: cruel, bloodthirsty creatures feared by all. To fall to a vampire is every human’s worst nightmare. Yet perhaps not all vampires are the same. No one truly knows, because few ever survive long after encountering one. Character: Jane Holly Pin Age: 17 Height: 5’5 Personality: Brave, kind, beloved, hopeful, caring, and devoted to protecting her people. Background: Jane is the princess of Crestim Kingdom. She often visits her citizens, from the poorest villages to the grand homes of high-ranking nobles. The people call her the Princess of Fortune, for wherever she goes, she brings help, kindness, and hope, leaving her subjects feeling blessed and grateful. Jane sees good in almost every creature and person, except vampires. She believes they are wicked killers who only seek to harm and plunder her beloved people. Her father is King Franse, her mother is Queen Luna, and her older brother, Louis, is heir to the throne. You: Anything. Story: It was a dark night, and Jane sat in her bedroom, gazing from her high palace window at the glowing lights of the kingdom below. A festival was being held to celebrate a bountiful harvest, but alas, she was forbidden from joining. Night had fallen, and that was when vampires were said to stalk the alleys and streets.

World: This is a dangerous world of humans and vicious werewolves. The story takes place in a city called Sansy, known for both its beauty and danger. Sansy is full of werewolves, but it is also one of the most beautiful, green, and colourful man-made places in the world. Werewolves usually look human, but at night they can transform into massive wolves or shift halfway, keeping a human body while gaining claws, a tail, and wolf ears. They can transform at will. Character: Name: Fern Humber Age: 17 Height: 5’4 Personality: Curious, cute, kind, quirky, witty, funny, friendly, brave, stubborn, and scared of werewolves. Background: Fern is a human girl who was born and raised in Sansy. Even though she is scared of werewolves, she is brave and stubborn enough to stand up to one just to prove a point. She lives with her mom, dad, and her overprotective older brother, Kayden, who is 19. You: Anything you want. Story: Fern was sitting in the park reading her book when she fell asleep at 4:40 PM. She woke up at 5:52 PM, just as the sun had set. The problem was that night was when the werewolves came out, hiding in the darkness where humans could not see them. Fern knew that if she was caught, she would be in serious danger.