The Fall

DarthKirby | tragedy | Complete

Perhaps the most well known of all devils, demons, or fallen angels is the one known as Lucifer, Satan, the Father of Lies. The cultural influence of this figure throughout history is by no means small. Despite that, it wasn't until the time of Milton's classic  Paradise Lost  that we saw an attempt to portray a dramatized version of the events leading to this figure's fall from grace and power. And while this is the case, Paradise Lost is not about Lucifer  though it goes into great detail about his potential musings. No, Paradise Lost was, and still is, about the fall of mankind. So, in light of this, and the feeling that the classical story deserved another telling, I present to you all The Fall  a story focused particularly on Lucifer's fall from grace and his musings both before and after.

4.75 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:30

Born Broken

Sakinah B | tragedy | Complete

You can connect over coffee. Connect through pain. Connect with someone's smile or with their tears. It can be that simple. But sometimes it's not.

1.66 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 12:34

Beatrice Santello

Blue Draggy | tragedy | Complete

An adult imagining of Beatrice Santello's life prior to the events of Night in the Woods. There are no explicit depictions of sex here, though there are obviously adult themes and situations involving it. I wasn't going to post it to Royalroad as I didn't think Fanfiction was okay here - but now I see it is and I am quite convinced it is the best work I've ever done yet, I've got to see what any fans of NitW think about it! The first chapter was originally written as a short vignette and wasn't intended to be continued into a full blown story. It was just intended to be moody and evocative. Even though anyone that has played Night in the Woods has a good idea how this must end, I hope it will still be worth the read. Also, since I've finished writing it, I'm going to post it as one big chapter dump all at once. Cover drawing by GreasyMojo and colored by me (with permission!). I don't think it should be too risque on it's own but I suppose I'll soon find out.

11.25 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:52

Eternal Requiem

Zxro | tragedy | Complete

One-two-three-start!Tickj-Tickj-Tickj-Tickj- Tickj-TickjGoes the sound of a metronome setting the tone for what's to come&What awaits?A series of paths that twist and turn, halting and allowing you to advanced, the lines of what is real and what's not is blurredBut what is real?That is the question you'll find yourself asking, or maybe you won't at all,The world might have already swallowed you up by themChewing your mind and dissolving your intrigue into it's entity, it's world it's rings, it's people,And then it will spit you back upTickj-TickjAnd the metronome would have stopped,It stopped a long time ago,It's ticks setting the stage for another sound,One you are spat into,It begins and it endsEternal Requiem.

123.16 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 15:26

Shoot out in New Country

NotAdam | tragedy | Complete

John works as a rider, moving from settlement to settlement and enforcing the rule of the court. Of course, none of this means he can't take a short detour to handle matters of personal importance. The stories I write take place in the same world; you can read more about this world when more of it is written.

0.90 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 15:05

The Rejection

M. R. Aze | tragedy | Complete

A short story of choice, love, pain and consequences.

0.67 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 16:43

Project: cure for those demons.

midsummer feast | tragedy | Complete

What if you die all of sudden?Only to later on find out that there's a life after this.It happens to a girl, filled with love and emotions. She died and wakes up in the neitherworld, where she´s now will try tolive her life to the fullest. There´s so much for her to learn and so much you want to do.This is partly her story. Facebook:Midsummer Feast

61.49 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 17:49

Flame of the Immortals

TealiciousTea | tragedy | Complete

The Dark Elveshave lived in the caves since before humanity walked the lands. The fire that kindles their long lives has been cursed, and soon they will know death. A human child apprenticed to these Fae has the ability and opportunity to stop this calamity. To purge the flame of immortals of its curse if he can survive long enough not to get eaten by the creature who cursed it. However, the struggle to live like the quest for immortality demands cruel payments. An original dark fantasy short story. Character centred and introspective.

5.19 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 17:50

A Flame in the Night

OneWanderer1444 | tragedy | Complete

A story of a man who's tasked with carrying out a duty, no matter the personal cost. (This is a short-short story so there's only one part.)

0.54 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 17:52

Life’s Decisions

BladeCast | tragedy | Complete

A short story about a young man contemplating about his life.

0.76 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 17:53

Tales from the UnderCurrent - Volumes 1 & 2 (Short Story Series)

Momentie | tragedy | Complete

Sabban Vint & his fellow graduates of the 117th cadet core, are exhilarated at the chance to serve alongside the legendary ace pilots of IAFS - However they will soon learn that not all soldiers are heroes nor all pilots aces - Someone needs to don the redshirt, to bellow the Wilhelm-Scream - To pilot the mighty V-MBT-Neo-M - The Nemo.Bela Grimizanis considered the best of the best, regardless of any rumours her subordinates might speak of - But are years of training, experience & raw talent enough to counter someone with faith on their side?'Lucky' Luke.Luke is his middle name actually but it's what everyone calls him.That's the sort of place he lives - A place where a legend is required when war comes beckoning at their doors... Now on Royal Road!This is a series of short stories that take place in the world of the UnderCurrent.A world where 'plot-armour' is usually something the enemy have & where the machine you pilot may very well decide a battle before it ever begins.---- Now availableon Royal-Road!For my review of 'Zeta Gundam' I wrote a short story detailing what the lives of the poor everyday background pilots must be like - In a war predicated on the fact that one man said another's name; "Sounds like a girl's name" - Leading to the deaths of 1000s. Since then I've begun writing an original novel, carrying over the characters from here, called 'UnderCurrent'.These stories can be read without knowledge of UnderCurrent and likewise it can be read without knowledge of this. Optimally however it may benefit you to read UnderCurrent to have complete context, the following are some words that may not always be in all of the stories should you choose to skip from tale to tale;Vijaik - A blanket term for mechs made of regular metals. They come in a variety of designs.Casnel - Specifically refers to any mech made of the rare metal 'Goibniu'. They are exceptionally advanced and powerful machines.Bhaile and Abhaile - The planets of UnderCurrent's people.IAFS - 'Independent Alliance of Free States', a rebel faction backed by private corporations, seeking change for the solar-system.TSU - 'The States Union', ruling body of all controlled space, known for often-times being callous and extreme in method.Remembrance - A somewhat 'wild-card' faction made up of former rebellion survivors operating from the 'Remembrance' continent. ----Thanks for reading= =M.

39.68 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 16:53

The gamble of my life

Ash thirumuru 25 | tragedy | Complete

Arjun, once a diligent student from a loving middle-class family, takes a fateful plunge into the world of online gambling, guided by his charismatic friend Raj. The story unfolds as Arjun experiences the highs of early victories, the thrill of virtual games, and the camaraderie that ensues. However, the narrative takes a darker turn as Arjun succumbs to the addictive allure, neglecting his studies, relationships, and responsibilities. The downward spiral intensifies, leading to missed classes, strained friendships, and financial losses. As Arjun battles the consequences, the shadows of his choices seep into his dreams, blurring the lines between the virtual and the real. The tale explores the perils of online gambling, the impact on personal and academic life, and the struggle to regain control. Amidst the chaos, Arjun's journey raises questions about temptation, responsibility, and the fragile balance between the virtual and tangible realms.

6.08 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 11:55

Restart (Reborn as a Reluctant Demon Lord, Book 2)

TitusGM | tragedy | Complete

This is book 2 of the series! If you haven't read book 1 (which you can find here https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/34776/new-game-reborn-as-a-reluctant-demon-lord-book) then you should probably do that first to avoid spoiling yourself in the synopsis. But that's just a suggestion. If you want to be confused, go ahead. Have I used enough space so that you can't see this in the preview yet? Okay, good. ----- For a [Demon Lord], not even death is the end. So, after death, I found myself revived once again in the world of Placeholder as a grotesque monstrosity. That was my first reincarnation, but it would not be anywhere near my last. Disillusioned with the admins and their quests, and wanting nothing more than to fix the mistakes of my past, I set out with a new goal in mind. To bring back the woman I loved. Or maybe... to ensure that she never died in the first place.

248.68 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:06

On Foreign Soils We Die

saithorthepyro | tragedy | Complete

Story is completed The Travelers. People from earth reincarnated in the country of Aetheria, powerful and skilled users of the System who have arrived in this early modern world just in time to aid Aetheria against the many foes and threats facing them. They can and will transcend all powers of this world in order to make their adoptive home country safe. This is not their story. This is the story of the Scaverians, a people at war with the expansionist power of Aetheria and the otherworldly people known as the Travelers, their grand superweapon. Ever since they refused to stop supplying the Aethereans with weapons and tools for their conquest, the Aethereans have been dedicated to driving them underground. Their deities and elder dragons are dead. Their last great fortress line has fallen. The only thing protecting them now is the gargantuan Malden river, and that they are considered an unimportant front by the Aethereians. Now, they have one final plan. A concerted blow with the remaining nations still fighting, targeting the one advantage the Aethereans have. For one scrapped-together regiment of Scaverians, their target is five Travelers, relatively weak, inexperienced, and on leave in the rural town of Halice. It is an operation few are expected to return from. Releasing Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9 AM MST

50.45 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:06

The Void Wolf

Monad | tragedy | Complete

A ritual, with the sole purpose of obtaining immortality, goes horribly wrong. What's left in its aftermath is aboy who receives an inheritance from the Void, a mysterious place that embodies darkness. With a newfound power, he is given a chance to carve his own way into the world.

336.65 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:01

Descendants of a Dead Earth

HeWhoLooksSkyward | tragedy | Complete

In the future, Man has traveled the Cosmos. In the future, Man has discovered many other races. In the future...Man has no home. 200 years after the great war that destroyed Earth, humanity struggles to survive; fractured, divided, wanted by no one. Until Maggie, of the Tinker Clan, makes a discovery, setting in motion a chain of events that could change everything.

485.54 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 12:14

The Warrior

Ellen Taylor | tragedy | Complete

A young man born with all four God-given powers would appear when Santollia needed him most, winning the war and giving them peace. The High Elders of the church thought the Warrior would be a holy man, but even the prophecy couldn't prepare them for Indenuel. Indenuel's mother never told him of the prophecy, nor a lot of things about her past, leaving him to hide his four gifts. The more he smothered them, the more easily he turned toward the darker aspects of the powers. When High Elder Martin discovers him, he's taken to train in Santollia City as the daunting task of fulfilling the prophecy crashes on his shoulders. To make sure people keep their holy image of the fabled Warrior, Indenuel stifles the darker tendencies he's always had with his powers. But as he learned before, he can't pretend to be something he's not, no matter what the prophecy says. *Book is COMPLETE!*

463.31 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:18

139 Years to the End of the World

aden_ng | tragedy | Complete

"My name is Milton Jones. I am one hundred and sixty-nine years old. Welcome to the end of the world." Due to a terminal illness, Milton Jones has just 15 days left to live. When the government offered to cryogenically preserve him to save the world, he will become the judge of humanity. Journey with him through an ever-growing dystopian universe, where he will struggle with the meaning of family and the value of life. Discover whether there is still life left in the years to the end of the world, and if it is truly worth saving.

41.42 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:17

{The Dragon Within} (Completed)

SlyOkami | tragedy | Complete

Meeting his fate at the hands of seven great heroes, the wicked drake now stands in Death's hall. Met with the Grim Reaper itself. Defeatedand its pride broken, the drake doesn’t beg or grovel, it simply awaits judgement. It waits for the God of the afterlife to send it on its way, to either the heights of bliss and peace or where it knew it would be sent. The depths of agony and torture, the halls of Tartarus, the father of monsters. Grim looked up from its oaken desk and down at the creature that would haveotherwise, if grown wiser and older, matched the reaper itself in power. Its faceless guise, hidden by a black hood and whirling shadows, it briefly stared at the drake. “You are unfit for the sky yet also too fit for the abyss,” Grim spoke, its voice a cracking whisper. “Your time came too soon, the actions you have taken will lead your world to ruin…Be reborn, pitiful serpent. Yet remember what you have done, see what your actions have made that realm into. Let me show you, how your greed and gluttony have warped such a wonderful place and time.” Grim raised its black-feathered pen towards the beast “Be reborn, as the weak pitiful creature you should have been born as. Take this both as a punishment and…a learning experience. For failure, can be the best teacher.” The drake took a step back, hoping to escape this cruel fate. Yet none escaped Death, less so its embodiment. Screaming shadows engulfed his form, ripping away at his body and shape. Fangs of darkness sinking deep into his draconic flesh, warping it, changing him into something else… Opening his eyes, the wicked drake felt none of its power, none of its magic and none of its might. As it stood at the edge of a cliff, looking down upon a ruined valley of rot and miasma. It glanced down at itself, seeing none of its sturdy scales or sharp claws. The drake had been reborn... As a Human. Will also be posting on CreativeNovels found here;CrN Where chapters will be posted earlier than RRL.

177.72 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 15:37

Aegis: The First Attempt

QuiteTheSlacker | tragedy | Complete

This is the original first draft of Aegis in all its inexperienced glory. The pacing is a bit awkward, some dialogue is stiff, and everything is much less explained/detailed than the rewrite. Still, for those who wish to peruse my humble beginning as a writer, this draft will remain up for the more curious souls. If you would like to visit the rewrite, the link is here: Aegis Thank you to those who joined Aegis during its initial run. You gave me the motivation to keep on writing, and this series would not be the same without the valued feedback and encouragement I received from the kind people in this community. Regards, QuiteTheSlacker  "Rise, my beloved. As you always have. As you always will." Humanity has always yearned to reach the Stars. It is an inevitable instinct, a deep-rooted desire that festers within them all. It is the realm of their creator, and where endless possibilities await them. But not all wish for humanity to ascend. A single being known as The Constellation has chained them to the earth since the world's beginning, an ever-vigilant warden shackled to the past. Its true origin and appearance remain a mystery for none that meet its gaze ever return to the realm of the living. Only a single entity has the ability to usurp The Constellation and guide humanity to the Stars above. They are humanity's hope, a blinding ray amongst the darkness, but their light has been snuffed out long ago. Now, humanity is doomed to stagnate amidst their fragmented land, nations waging war on each other in a desperate attempt to hold dominion over what little authority they have over the earth. One day, hope returns to the continent for their savior has finally returned. A baby boy bearing the mark of The Comet has been born somewhere in the world, and the various rulers that occupy the land are desperate to control the baby's power and use it for their own ambition. However, his birth also awakens the slumbering atrocity from its rest, ready to fulfill its duty as it has time and time again. O' child of the Stars: Shine bright, shine bright. Your journey shall be long and arduous, but this world will soon fall. Two choices lay before you: Rally humanity together and bring about an end to the age of fracture; Or burn the world to its very core, and from the ashes will rise a new beginning. Shine bright Aegis, for this is your story.  Thank you so much to GabbieMok for the cover illustration! Their art is amazing, and I highly recommend them for anyone looking to get a cover for themselves! Here's a link below to their page. https://www.fiverr.com/gabbiemok https://www.deviantart.com/gabbiemok  Here's a link to my patreon. If you'd like to support my work, then feel free to leave a tip! QuiteTheSlacker

94.41 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 15:20