Adventure
Varrek Steelhammer - The Forge Lord
Varrek Steelhammer - The Forge Lord The anvil sang with every strike. Sparks danced like embers carried on the wind, illuminating the dark halls of Steel’s End, the beating heart of Kestrel’s Reach’s smithing quarter. Varrek Steelhammer, Durnoch’s chosen, worked without pause, sweat pooling at his brow as he shaped the steel that would shape the future.
By Canyon Cappola (TheNomad)about a year ago in Fiction
The Journey of Silence
Not every silence is peaceful. Some scream so loudly inside you that the noise drowns out your soul. This is a story I never thought I’d tell. Not because it’s dramatic. But because it’s… quietly terrifying. I met him at a chai dhaba during winter. A quiet boy with haunting eyes who always sat at the corner bench, sketching on the back of old bills. No one spoke to him. He didn’t speak either. I don’t know why, but one day, I walked up and asked, “Tum kya bana rahe ho?” He looked up slowly. “Memories,” he said. Just one word. And he smiled—a tired, worn-out kind of smile, like he hadn’t used those muscles in a long time. Over the next few weeks, we met often. I never learned his real name, so I started calling him “Noor”—because he brought light into dark places without knowing it. He was a silent storyteller. His sketches weren’t art—they were wounds on paper. Each one told a story of pain, escape, or something too complex to label. Sometimes, he would draw strangers too. People sitting nearby, unaware that Noor was quietly turning them into memories. One day, he sketched an old man feeding birds. Another time, a mother scolding her child gently. He found beauty in moments most of us overlook. One evening, I asked him, “Why don’t you talk to others?” He looked out into the foggy night and said something that still burns in my memory: “Because I did… once. And the world didn’t listen. It laughed.” Noor wasn’t mentally unstable. He was deeply aware—too aware. He had lost both parents in a fire when he was ten. He lived in a shelter for most of his life, then drifted between cities. Every time he tried to connect with people, they either mocked his silence or forced him to be someone he wasn’t. But he never stopped drawing. One day, he handed me a folded sketch. It was me. But not just my face—my thoughts. My fears. My loneliness. All captured in ink. “How did you—?” I asked, choking on my words. “I listen,” he whispered. “Even when you don’t speak.” That was Noor’s superpower. He heard what others buried. And carried it. And just like that… he disappeared. No note. No goodbye. Just one final sketch left at our usual spot—two figures on a bench, one drawn in heavy lines, and the other fading away into the fog. I searched for him. Everywhere. But Noor was like a shadow—seen only when light hit the right angle. It’s been five years. Sometimes, I sit at that same dhaba, alone. And sometimes… just sometimes… I feel a sketch slide under my tea cup. A rough corner. A faint signature: "N." He lives, somewhere. Maybe in another city. Maybe drawing for someone else. Maybe still listening to unsaid words. I kept his sketches safe. I framed one. Another one stays folded in my wallet. A reminder that not every connection needs words. That sometimes, silence has more meaning than an entire book. And me? I’ve stopped chasing noise. I’ve learned to listen—to others, to myself, to silence. Because Noor taught me this: “Some people speak loudly. Some speak through silence. Both deserve to be heard.”
By Zain ul abidin about a year ago in Fiction
In the Light of Her Eyes. Content Warning.
It began with a look—a look that pierced the dull haze of a rain-soaked Thursday afternoon in November. I was seated at the window of an urban coffee shop, my nose fogged with steam from coffee and loneliness. Routine was life now. I worked, returned to an empty apartment, listened to the ticking clock at night, and asked myself when something would shatter this locked box I referred to as a heart.
By Muhammad Abdullahabout a year ago in Fiction
How To Disappear: Part One
(Trigger warning: mentions of suicide, self-harm, homophobia, and bullying behavior) ~ Three days ago, Gabriel Hernandez threw himself from the fourth floor of his school building. The time was precisely four o’clock in the afternoon. He unlatched a window in the art classroom, stepped out onto the ledge, and jumped a distance of fifty feet down, landing on the concrete below.
By angela hepworthabout a year ago in Fiction
Talea Lightheart - The Healing Step
Talea Lightheart - The Healing Step The halls of Losend’s Haven, the largest hospital in the city, never knew silence. The murmurs of the sick, the hurried steps of healers, the weary sighs of caretakers. It was a place where suffering clung to the air like mist.
By Canyon Cappola (TheNomad)about a year ago in Fiction
Niva's Task
Niva is a snow leopard who lives in the Himalayan Mountains, over 18,000 feet up in the air where very few ever dare to venture. She has made her home in the crags of two overhanging rocks where her two little cubs wait for her patiently. However, patience doesn't last long for the young and soon their are crying for something to eat. Niva rushes from her perch to soothe them before she decides to make the trek out to her favorite hunting grounds. Traveling in this cold mountain habitat is very precarious journey, but Niva has cubs to feed and can't back down no matter the cost.
By Toby Hewardabout a year ago in Fiction
The Girl Behind the Door
1. The Whispering House In the overlooked town of Elmbrook—where the wind murmured like a overlooked bedtime song and the crows roosted like prophets—stood an ancient, exhausted house. It had no title, but everybody called it The Wilt House. Children strolled quicker close it; older folks whispered supplications; and those who had once challenged to trespass carried their hush like a mystery curse.
By Muhammad Abdullahabout a year ago in Fiction
The Time Traveler's Dilemma
Dr. Emma Taylor had spent years studying the mysteries of quantum mechanics, and finally, she had cracked the code. She stood at the threshold of a new era, ready to revolutionize the field of time travel. With a deep breath, she stepped into the time machine, set the coordinates, and disappeared into the past. Her first journey took her to ancient Egypt, where she witnessed the construction of the Great Pyramid. The sun beat down on her skin as she walked among the workers, marveling at their ingenuity and skill. She saw the pharaoh's procession, with its elaborate rituals and majestic grandeur. But as she watched, she noticed a young apprentice who seemed out of place. He was dusty and tired, but his eyes sparkled with curiosity. In a moment of curiosity, she whispered a few words of encouragement to the boy, who later became a renowned architect. Returning to her own time, Emma realized that the world had changed. The pyramids stood taller, and the ancient civilization seemed more advanced. The Egyptians had developed a sophisticated system of mathematics and architecture, and their art reflected a deeper understanding of human anatomy. But as she delved deeper, she discovered that her actions had created a ripple effect, altering the course of history in ways she never intended. The Roman Empire had risen to power earlier, and their engineering feats had surpassed anything she had learned in school. The Industrial Revolution had started centuries earlier, and the world was a vastly different place. Emma's small act of kindness had created a butterfly effect, changing the course of human history. Undeterred, Emma traveled again, this time to the Wild West. She rode into town on a dusty horse, feeling the rough texture of the saddle beneath her. She met a young outlaw, Jesse, and helped him escape a deadly trap. But when she returned to her own time, she found that Jesse had become a legendary hero, and the West had been won by outlaws instead of lawmen. As Emma continued her journeys, she created multiple parallel universes, each with their own version of history. She saw civilizations rise and fall, witnessed pivotal moments unfold differently, and realized that every decision, no matter how small, had far-reaching consequences. She began to feel like a puppeteer, pulling strings and watching as the world reacted. But with each new reality, Emma's sense of identity began to blur. Which timeline was her true home? Which version of herself was the authentic one? She began to question the nature of reality and her place within it. Was she a scientist, exploring the boundaries of knowledge, or was she a reckless adventurer, tampering with the fabric of time? As the multiverse expanded, Emma encountered versions of herself from different timelines. Some were brilliant scientists, while others were notorious outlaws. There was Emma the engineer, who had built a utopian society; Emma the artist, who had created breathtaking masterpieces; and Emma the warrior, who had fought in epic battles. Each version of herself was unique, with their own strengths and weaknesses. Together, they formed a coalition, determined to understand the complexities of time travel and find a way to navigate the ever-branching paths. They shared their knowledge and experiences, trying to find a way to reconcile the disparate timelines. But as they worked together, they realized that their actions had created a new problem: the multiverse was becoming increasingly unstable. Timelines were merging and diverging, creating chaos and unpredictability. The coalition knew they had to act fast, or risk losing control of the timestream. They worked tirelessly, using their combined expertise to develop a new theory of time travel. Slowly but surely, they began to understand the underlying mechanics of the multiverse. "The Dilemma" Emma's journey raised fundamental questions: Can we truly control the timeline? Do our actions create new realities, or do they merely uncover hidden paths? And what does it mean to be ourselves in a multiverse of possibilities? As the story unfolds, Emma's quest for knowledge becomes a journey of self-discovery. Will she find a way to reconcile the disparate timelines, or will she become lost in the infinite expanse of the multiverse? The Time Traveler's Dilemma invites you to ponder the consequences of playing with the fabric of time. Join Emma on her thrilling adventure, and explore the boundless possibilities of the multiverse. As you read, ask yourself: What would you do if you had the power to shape the course of history? Would you try to fix the past, or would you forge a new future? The story of Emma Taylor is a testament to human curiosity and the unquenchable thirst for knowledge. It reminds us that every decision, no matter how small, has far-reaching consequences. And it challenges us to think about the nature of reality and our place within it. As Emma navigates the complexities of time travel, she discovers that the greatest mystery is not the multiverse, but her own identity. Who is she,
By Salman Ahmadabout a year ago in Fiction
