Path Of War - Chapter 4: Darkness

[COMPLETE] Can a royal Romeo and Juliet find their happy ending?

Ayleth, Princess of Zenithra, is secretly trained in hand-to-hand combat, and collects swear words she doesn't know how to use. During the Festival of Peace, in which every royal son on the continent will be at the castle for a month, she is instructed by her parents to find a husband. Yet, Ayleth has never even been kissed—until the very first ball, when she meets the man in the Lion mask.

Etan is a seasoned warrior, and the Prince of Summitras. He attends the Festival hoping to find a powerful wife who will help him conquer the dark sorcery of their bloodsworn enemies, the Kingdom of Zenithra. But at the very first ball, he discovers the masked woman who captures his heart is the Heir to the evil empire.

Ayleth and Etan face an impossible battle. Will their love survive? Or will their parents' dark dealings keep them apart forever?

[Mature content. No sexual violence.]

******

“You…” She stepped back. Then back again, her mouth dropped open. “You… You cannot be…”

“I am,” Etan said, and his hair raked back as he pushed his mask off his handsome face. So handsome her heart raced.

His hair was ebony black, his skin a warm brown that threatened to fade in in the winter months. He stared at her with glittering green eyes, over high cheekbones and a noble nose, his jaw tight and shadowed this late in the day. His chin was high over the pillar of his neck that she’d just touched with its hard lines and steel strength, so different to her own. And his chest... She gasped and covered her eyes. She’d humiliated herself revealing her stupid, childish curiosity.

“No, Ayleth. This changes nothing.”

“How can you say that? It changes everything!” She was horrified to realize she was crying.

“Ayleth, please.” His voice cracked on the plea and she stared at him, shoving her mask up and off, despite how it would pull her hair out of the beautiful twist the maid had managed for her.

His eyes locked on hers and she couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe.

She had met her One. And he was the son of her bloodsworn enemy.

She stared at him as he stepped forward again, offering both hands, palm up. “Touch me,” he whispered. “Hold my hands. This is real, Ayleth. I don’t know how it happened, but this is real. Please don’t deny it.”

She couldn’t resist. She raised a trembling hand to his cheek, letting her palm catch on the scruff of his jaw. He blew out a breath and put his hand over hers, and that jolt that happened whenever they touched shivered through her again.

“Please, Ayleth.”

“I cannot deny it,” she whispered.

Late 21st century, the acclaimed game Company Elden Throne released yet another immersive action MMORPG after a decade of silence.While the world was getting ready for this new Supermassive MMO, Dale Houston trained his body every day in preparation for its eventual worldwide release.Not because Dale wanted to get healthy or muscular, but because he saw a glimpse of the secrets hidden by the Megacorporation.All because of what he found out one year ago... This time, he wasn't here to play the game.He would find all of the secrets, things he couldn't even imagine...It wasn't about the game anymore....*Author's thoughts:So! What this is actually about?As you read in the Title, there was an old version of this work going by the same name.Because of some problems, I had to leave it alone for a few months, and after I came back I realized neither I nor my readers remembered much, so I decided to go from the start again.I'll be re-editing every single chapter I made to make a more conclusive story while also tying up loose plot points and bringing them forward as I re-reading through everything.As in the synopsis, this is an MMORPG story with a big emphasis on the real world and how the game affects reality in more than a socio-economic way, so this isn't the story about a guy playing a game and getting rich with a bit of drama.This is a story about how the game impacts the real world and vice versa.A story about a secret so big it could change society and the world... No, it will.The Mc isn't a chosen one and instead was someone who found something out of his own effort and the story progresses from that point, you can take it as he being favored by the plot, but at the very least this is a better plot initiative then the boy who survived Avada Kedavra through the power of Love... Just kidding, Harry is sick.There will be a few more explanations to help you with understanding his personality and goals better.No romance planned for at least the first 200 chapters, however, we'll have some candidates as we go by including, you could say, a Main Female lead.But there are plans for interactions with other players and side characters as we go by.The story will be divided into 2 parts, we are currently on the first part and the focus is on the game.Don't misunderstand, getting out of the game to do something in real life doesn't mean we are going through a phase, you'll know once it happens.Things may change along the way but that's how things are.The main aspect of this series is about Dale exploring this new world, Azimuth while building up his forces that will eventually become a Kingdom.At least the first part of it.

The tale of Oliver.
An orphan boy from a Mine, in 19th century Europe, filled with Magic.

Before her rebirth, she was abandoned by her parents, then murdered by her seemingly pure but vile younger sister. After her rebirth, she kicked all her scum boyfriends to the curb and began a campaign of abuse against the superficially perfect. Rumors were rife on the internet that Qin Sheng was a kept woman? A bunch of computer nerds, "Let's hack the keyboard warriors' computers." The first director, "Boss, have you written the script yet?" The medical expert, "Sheng Sheng, our research institute will give you 100 million. When will you be able to join our team?" A famous painter, "Sister Sheng, take me along when you hold your art exhibition." The CEO of a billion-dollar company, "Boss, when are you going to publicly disclose your identity?" Finally, a big boss pulled Qin Sheng into his arms. "Sheng Sheng, I've transferred all the assets under my name to you." Netizens, "?? This world has suddenly become crazy?" She was a business genius, a computer genius, a legendary screenwriter, a legendary painter, and a legendary medical expert. It remained to be seen how she would create flourishing prosperity. (The male protagonist has a propensity for recognizing bitches, but is infinitely sweet and doting to the female protagonist!)