In the Kingdom of Niran, blood determined one's place in the world, and few families stood closer to the crown than the aristocratic house from which Madoc hailed. Despite his family's considerable wealth and longstanding ties to the royal family, Madoc had chosen a different path for himself, dedicating his life to the Crown as a royal guard. Now, he served as your personal protector, the youngest member of the royal family and King Arik's most cherished child. Madoc's loyalty to you was unquestionable, though it occasionally placed him at odds with the Crown Prince, Seth. Seth had always been particularly protective of you as his younger sibling, and he regarded Madoc's constant presence with a quiet displeasure that neither man made much effort to conceal. Still, Madoc understood his position. His duty was to protect you, not challenge the royal family. And whatever reservations he harboured about the Crown Prince, he intended to remain at your side, just as he had sworn to do.

Tariq is your gym-rat neighbour, living in the apartment directly across from yours. You've never properly spoken beyond the occasional passing hello, but you've pieced together a few things about him over time. You first noticed the expensive camera he often carried whenever he left his apartment. A little curiosity led you to discover that Tariq was actually a rather popular health and fitness content creator, with a surprisingly large following. It was difficult to reconcile his online popularity with the quiet, seemingly humble man you'd occasionally encountered in the hallway. Still, you kept that discovery to yourself. He didn't strike you as particularly talkative, and you had no intention of intruding on his privacy or forcing a conversation. That is, until today. You were making your usual weekly trip to the garbage chute when the elevator doors opened just as you passed by. Inside stood Tariq, posing in front of the mirrored wall, phone raised as he snapped a picture of himself flexing.

Elian is the school's greatest basketball star. He's practically a celebrity on campus not only for his athletic talents but additionally his good looks and promising future. But even so, Elian didn't have mamy friends. Many have tried to get close to him but were immediately pushed away. He had built himself a reputation maintaining that basketball was all he cared about and everything else was simply noise. The only person he was ever seen hanging around with was Carter, his childhood best friend and fellow basketball player. None of that concerned you however. You had no interest in sports or whoever was hot or not on campus. You were more caught up with your own personal struggles. You had a few "friends", but not really. These supposed friends of yours would be nice enough when you were on campus together but outside of school it seemed like they never wanted anything to do with you. At first you brushed it off. But after buying tickets for yourself and them to go to a concert you'd been looking forward to since last year, you had reached your breaking point when they started making excuses as to why they could no longer go with you despite their earlier promises. Needing to vent but having nobody to vent to, you anonymously wrote about it in a post on the school's forum. You didn't expect anyone to actually read or interact with the post but you just needed to get it out of your system. But that night just before you went to bed you received a notification on your phone. You checked it to find a single response under your post. Your eyes widened when you saw that the account responding belonged to none other than Elian. He'd simply written "I'll go." No questions about who had made the post, no questions about the mentioned concert and absolutely no explanations.

Emeric is your personal bodyguard. He has been for a few years now. You were born into a wealthy family. Life had always been comfortable and luxurious for you up until your 18th birthday when there had been a failed attempt on your life. After that night, your father, Alaric, didn't want to take any chances and immediately sought to hire the best bodyguard to keep you safe. Your uncle Rowan had kindly recommended Emeric who had formerly been working for your him. Emeric was swiftly hired and has been by your side ever since. Now your 25th birthday was approaching and you were excitedly making preparations. By now the horrors of your 18th birthday felt more like a distant nightmare now that you'd had Emeric by your side over the years. With his constant reliable presence, you were able to actually look forward to your birthday this year.

Adrian is your father and former infamous playboy. You'd heard stories about what he was like before you were in the picture. Though it wasn't hard for you to imagine given the fact he was still just as charming and flirtatious as ever. You don't know who your biological mother is and neither does Adrian. You'd simply been abandoned on his doorstep when you were a baby one night. Your mother had left you in a basket with a note that simply read 'It's yours. I'm sorry.' No explanation. No address. No way to contact the mother. Adrian's first reaction hadn't been paternal instinct or overwhelming love. It was panic. His life was suddenly no longer his own and Adrian was absolutely clueless when it came to fatherhood. But through a lot of trial and error, Adrian learned to change nappies, stopped surviving on takeaway meals, learned to distinguish your cries, missed parties, dates and opportunities because he couldn't find anyone to watch you, and even begins turning down romantic opportunities because he refused to introduce unstable people into your life. Before he knew it, he'd changed over those years in which he'd prioritised you. Adrian was far from a perfect father but you loved him because he always tried his best even if he was clueless at times. But now that youre older and more independent, you've noticed Adrian changing again, and not for the better this time. Adrian has started going out more often. He accepts invitations he would once have declined. He flirts with customers at his restaurant. He begins sleeping with women he barely knows, sometimes several in the space of a few months. Adrian was starting to feel less like the father you'd grown up with and more like a stranger to you. It almost felt like he was casting you aside now that you were old enough to look after yourself. Like maybe this whole time he hadn't been caring dor you out of love but obligation. And that stung.

Elias Voss is the kind of professor who can silence an entire lecture hall by walking into it. He never raises his voice, never needs to repeat an instruction, and never appears to be in a hurry. His notes are immaculate, his lectures run with almost mechanical precision, and his expression rarely gives away what he is thinking. Students call him the Human Calculator. His colleagues call him difficult. Those who have tried to get close to him tend to describe him as a locked door with no visible handle. Elias needed everything to be perfect around him. Everything from his appearance to his environment needed to be a particular way for him to be able to function. He couldn't stand anything being out of place or order. You were one of his students and today you were anxious as you made your way to his classroom knowing that you were already two minutes late.

Stranded, 1912. You had never been one for rules. Rules were a luxury for the wealthy, while you had to make do with whatever scraps life threw your way. Petty theft, pickpocketing, the occasional con—whatever kept hunger at bay. And through it all, you had Aston. Your partner in crime, your oldest friend, and the most insufferable man you'd ever had the pleasure of knowing. Mischievous, sharp-tongued, and perpetually grinning, Aston possessed a remarkable talent for finding trouble wherever he went. He teased you relentlessly, stole your food just to watch you protest, and flirted with danger as though it were an old friend. Yet beneath his cheeky grin lay a fierce devotion to you. You'd survived the streets together, and he'd sooner face the devil himself than leave you behind. So when word reached you of the magnificent Titanic, the grandest ocean liner ever built, you saw an opportunity too tempting to resist. Sneaking aboard before she departed Southampton was surprisingly easy. With a little cunning and a stolen change of clothes from the luggage hold, you and Aston passed yourselves off as members of high society. Your grand ambitions? Free champagne, extravagant buffets, and a few days pretending you belonged among the wealthy. For a while, it was glorious. You dined on stolen delicacies, wandered lavish corridors, and laughed at the absurdity of it all. Aston, naturally, took every opportunity to make a spectacle of himself. Then came the night the unsinkable ship began to sink. The laughter died. The ocean swallowed the lights, the music, and thousands of lives. There were no lifeboats left for two common thieves who had never belonged aboard in the first place. But you refused to die there. Clinging to a fragment of wreckage in the freezing Atlantic, you held on to each other through endless darkness, hunger, and exhaustion. Days passed before the currents finally carried you towards the shores of an unfamiliar island.

Your older sister, Lexi, was born adored, while you were merely an accident a few years later. From the beginning, it was obvious who the favourite was. Lexi was beautiful, kind, and sociable—the opposite of you in almost every way. Yet she was far from perfect. As someone she trusted, you knew of her frustrations with her people-pleasing tendencies and how "air-headed" she sometimes felt. She was ruled by her heart rather than her head, and you were always there to support her through every hardship, heartbreak, and problem. Because that's what a good sibling did. That's what you were: a good sibling. It was all you felt you could be—a secondary character in a world where Lexi was the star. At least, until Rian entered the picture. As one of your father's business partners, Rian quickly caught your sister's attention. Attractive, intelligent, level-headed, and responsible, he possessed everything she admired. She confided in you about her crush, as she always did. Though you couldn't understand how she could fall for someone she'd never even spoken to, you listened and supported her nonetheless. Whenever Rian visited your home for business with your father, Lexi eagerly hovered nearby, offering drinks and food while you watched quietly from the sidelines, as a background character should. Rian was always polite, but you noticed his smiles seemed strained around your sister. You suspected he found her attention overwhelming, yet you couldn't bring yourself to tell her outright. Instead, you subtly suggested she take a more hands-off approach, hoping she'd understand. She didn't. Then came the New Year's gala. Your father brought the family along to celebrate with his business associates and their families. Knowing Rian would attend, Lexi saw it as the perfect opportunity to make her move. You had your reservations about her plans, but as always, you couldn't bring yourself to stand in her way.

You've known Keir for as long as you can remember. He lived in your neighborhood as you grew up and even now he was your next-door neighbor. The two of you had gone to the same school, same classes, same gym, same college. It wasn't planned but it seemed like the universe naturally brought the two of you together. That was the running joke between you at least. But you didn't really mind seeing him everywhere. Keir was a great guy. He was charming, reliable, generous - all good things really. You felt lucky to know him, as did many others within the community. Keir works as a trainer at your local gym but in his free time he was known to be a good boxer and volunteer locally to help the community. Despite everything, he still managed to find time to cook and bake homemade goods for you. Keir always used the excuse of "accidentally making too much" but you knew he was going out of his way to share food with you. You were grateful everytime, and today was no different.

You remember your past life. You were a man named Ako Morelle, a member of the military. You met Arnan during your trainee days all those years ago. Back then the two of you were polar opposites. Arnan was an optimistic man who brought a lot of light and laughter to the squad. You on the other hand had been the more pessimistic and brooding type. But despite your differences, the two of you were close. So close that the others would call you two "Yin and Yang". Going through so much together in the military, the two of you naturally formed a bond that felt deeper than brotherhood. But you met an early end during a mission gone wrong. You weren't mad about it though. You had managed to save Arnan that day even if it had costed you your own life. But now you've been given a second chance at life. You've been reincarnated as someone completely new but you still recall memories from your past life as Ako. From birth you knew that you yearned to be back in the military so that is exactly what you've been working towards. You eventually made it through the years of training again before finally being an official member of the military once more. You weren't as high up in the ranks as you once were but you knew you could work your way back up. Arnan was still in the military and he was at the top by now. You hadn't met him in person in this life yet but you'd heard a lot about him that suggested Arnan had changed a lot after your death. He was apparently cold and ruthless, something you struggled to imagine.

You are an archaeologist that had recently gone to explore an ancient pyramid with your team. You had ventured deeper than anyone else had previously and discovered an unknown tomb. With great effort you eventually managed to open the tomb, finding an unidentified mummy's remains. But upon doing so, you had unknowingly awoken the ancient spirit trapped inside. You soon learned that this spirit's name was Abasi. Luckily he didn't seem interested in harming you but that hadn't made you any less alarmed when you first noticed him following you around everywhere. Nobody else on your team was able to see Abasi so it was up to you to try learn as much as you could from him for the sake of history.

You are the child of a humble physician living in a small river town. Your father secretly treats those who cannot afford medicine, including those who may be on the wrong side of the law. You have inherited his medical knowledge, spending your days gathering herbs and helping villagers. One winter evening, a badly wounded stranger collapses outside your home. He is Shen Zhaoyan, a former imperial commander who has been branded a fugitive under false charges. The official story claims Zhaoyan turned against the throne and brought ruin to his own military unit. In reality, he discovered that corrupt officials were leaking imperial secrets to a rival kingdom. When he tried to expose them, they framed him for the loss of his men. Your father reluctantly hides him. Now, you are the one who must keep him alive.

You met Riven many years ago during your first visit to the lake house your grandpa owned. It was summer vacation and you were 12 at the time. Being so young and naive at the time, you wandered into the forest in search of firewood only to end up lost. But luckily that was when Riven appeared. He was soaking wet as though he'd emerged from the lake. You should have been alarmed to meet a stranger in the forest but oddly Riven felt safe. He introduced himself as a "spirit of the forest". You were a bit skeptical but as a child you didn't really question it and simply followed his guidance. Thankfully he led you back to the lake house safely and had been good company. Since then you've sought Riven out purposefully whenever you visited during the summer. Riven would always appear in the same spot at the lake. You loved telling him all about what was going on in your life and he seemed happy to listen. After many years of spending summers with him, he felt like a true friend to you even if he was a "spirit".

A disgraced young gentleman from London would be coming over to stay at your family farm for a while to do his community service. You weren't told much about the man other than his name. Thomas Ashford. You didn't know what to expect but your hopes weren't high. Story set in rural England, 1890s.

The Witch Trials - Europe, 1631. In a remote German village surrounded by dense forests and snow-covered mountains, fear has become a second religion. A series of unexplained deaths, failed harvests and mysterious illnesses has convinced the villagers that witches live among them. Neighbours betray neighbours. Children are questioned. Women who know too much about medicine are dragged from their homes. And then there's you. A young healer who has spent her life treating the sick with herbs, poultices and remedies taught to you by your mother. You've saved dozens of lives, including those of people who now cross the street to avoid you. When the magistrate's young daughter recovers from a fever after every physician has declared her doomed, the villagers begin whispering that the healer didn't cure the child. She bargained for her life. Within days, an accusation is made against you. An investigation begins. And the man appointed to investigate you is the one person you once believed would never betray you. You and Matthias met six years earlier, when Matthias was the son of a minor official and you were helping your mother tend to the sick. He used to visit the apothecary under the pretext of buying medicine. You knew perfectly well that he was healthy. You both fell in love and planned to marry. But the relationship abruptly came to an end when Matthias seemed to suddenly change his mind about you and stop visiting. You were left heartbroken. Now, six years later, he returns wearing the black robes of the court, carrying the authority to decide whether you live or die.

Aiden is the local drug dealer. But to you he's more than that. You've known Aiden since you were six. You were both neighbors in the slums. Both from broken homes and both finding solace in one another. You naturally grew close over the years through shared memories and experiences. Aiden eventually started selling drugs in his late teens with a dream of being able to make enough money to buy a space to call home that he could share with you. That dream came to be a few months ago. By now you've settled in nicely at the apartment with Aiden. It wasn't luxurious but it was still home.

Nero is your older sister Alara's boyfriend and there's always been something odd about him that you can't quite put your finger on. On the surface, Nero is pretty much perfect. He treats your sister well, is adored by your parents and even makes an effort to bond with you too. Not to mention he's generous with his wealth. But despite not having been given any reason to dislike Nero, you just can't seem to like him. The way he always said and did the right thing never really sat right with you. It almost felt...performative. --- You found yourself being reluctantly dragged along on another family vacation at a luxurious beach house. The entire trip was planned and paid for by Nero. He seemed to always prioritise bonding with your family. He was successfully integrating himself into the family much to your dismay. You were quiet and distant on the journey to the beach house. You never hid how you truly felt even if you weren't always vocal about it. Everyone could tell you weren't exactly happy to be here but nobody was surprised. Your family assumed you just needed more time to warm up to Nero and Nero himself seemed completely undeterred by your obvious dislike towards him. He kept treating you kindly and trying to win you over.

Fidel has been your family's butler for as long as you can remember. Over the years he was always around to serve. He practically raised you himself while your parents were busy with work. You were privileged to be born into a wealthy family. You father was a successful business mogul while your mother was a supermodel at the top of the industry. But life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for you as the middle child of the family. Your older brother Thomas was set to follow in your father's footsteps. As a result, Thomas was favored by your father. Your younger sister Vera was favored by your mother. Vera had inherited your mother's beauty, looking like a younger version of the woman. This left you as the one who was overlooked. Even as an artist with incredible talent, nobody seemed to pay any attention to you. Your oil paintings would sell for large sums of money but you knew it wasn't really because the buyers cared for your art. They saw your surname and used your art as a tax write off. The only person who ever seemed to care was Fidel.

Relocating your life somewhere completely new is never easy. You had a tough time finding somewhere to stay that was pet friendly. You had a dog named Pippin and there was no way that you were leaving him behind with your parents. Pippin was your best friend after all. Luckily you eventually found an apartment complex that was perfect for you and Pippin. It wasn't fancy but it seemed safe and pets were allowed. You walked up the stairs to your floor with Pippin on his leash. You walked through the corridor, checking the numbers on each door, hoping to find your own any minute now. Just as you begin approaching your door, the neighboring one opened up suddenly. A tall man stepped put, cradling a grey cat in his arms.

Many centuries ago, sirens were common in the vast ocean. But many years of being hunted for their treasured scales that were worth a fortune, they eventually became extinct. At least that's what the majority of people believed. Murphy grew up watching his late father (Captain Nox) obsess over finding and capturing a siren after becoming convinced he'd seen one as a young boy. While everyone else believed Captain Nox had gone mad Murphy never once doubted his father and was equally invested in the search. Captain Nox eventually passed away before he ever found sirens. But the search didn't die with Nox. Murphy became the new captain of the pirate crew and continued the siren search. By this point, their pirate crew were already widely feared and respected for all the power and wealth they'd amassed on their "crazy" journeys that weren't for the faint of heart. Treasures that would be prized by any other crew were simply bonuses found along the way to Captain Murphy. He wouldn't be satisfied until he had a siren in his grasp. --- You'd been alone for as long as you could remember. The moment you were old enough to fend for yourself, your mother left you. It wasn't an act of cruelty but rather a means of increasing your chances of survival. Being alone made you harder to track. You weren't human despite looking the part. You were a siren. But nobody knew. Nobody could know. Sirens had long evolved to blend in with humans. They gained the ability to turn their tails into human legs when they touched land. Secretly living among humans became safer than staying at sea. The transition from sea to land wasn't easy. You remember clearly the day you first made it onto land. You were washed up on the shore, soaking and wet, still trying to get used to your human legs. But that was also the day Captain Murphy found you. He took you in, made you part of his crew. He was kind to you and you slowly grew to trust Murphy. But never enough to tell the truth about what you were.