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The studio
5.0
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The Studio The smell of turpentine and decay was ever-present. The two scents, one artificial and sharp, the other organic and sour, swirled together in the basement studio beneath a brownstone at the edge of Chicago's art district. Elias Granger stood barefoot on a drop cloth splattered with flecks of red-paint, mostly. He held a palette in one hand and a brush in the other. On the easel before him was a canvas nearly complete: the portrait of a woman with auburn hair, blue-gray eyes, and a soft expression. Her smile was serene, almost beatific. Elias smiled, mirroring the expression on the canvas. "You're perfect now, Emily," he whispered. He set down the brush and turned to the real Emily-what was left of her, anyway-sitting across the room in a battered, velvet armchair. Rigor mortis had long passed, but he'd preserved her well enough. Her head slumped slightly to the side, skin pale and waxy under the harsh white light. Her expression, once contorted in fear, had been gently adjusted into something more... suitable. He leaned in close and studied her face. "Don't worry," he said softly. "The gallery show is next month. They'll see you. They'll see all of you."

Chapter 1 The studio

The Studio

The smell of turpentine and decay was ever-present. The two scents, one artificial and sharp, the other organic and sour, swirled together in the basement studio beneath a brownstone at the edge of Chicago's art district.

Elias Granger stood barefoot on a drop cloth splattered with flecks of red-paint, mostly. He held a palette in one hand and a brush in the other. On the easel before him was a canvas nearly complete: the portrait of a woman with auburn hair, blue-gray eyes, and a soft expression. Her smile was serene, almost beatific.

Elias smiled, mirroring the expression on the canvas. "You're perfect now, Emily," he whispered.

He set down the brush and turned to the real Emily-what was left of her, anyway-sitting across the room in a battered, velvet armchair. Rigor mortis had long passed, but he'd preserved her well enough. Her head slumped slightly to the side, skin pale and waxy under the harsh white light. Her expression, once contorted in fear, had been gently adjusted into something more... suitable.

He leaned in close and studied her face. "Don't worry," he said softly. "The gallery show is next month. They'll see you. They'll see all of you."

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The collector

The collector

Horror

5.0

The Collector" In the quiet town of Elmridge, nothing ever really happened-until people started disappearing. Detective Mara Lin had seen her share of murderers, but nothing prepared her for the case that would haunt her long after retirement. Each victim was meticulously chosen: no connections, no patterns-just ordinary people plucked from their lives. The bodies, when found, were always displayed like works of art: posed, eyes open, smiling. A single white rose in their hand. The media dubbed the killer "The Collector." What no one knew was that The Collector lived among them. Thomas Avery, a charming local librarian with an encyclopedic knowledge of true crime, spent his days recommending books and chatting with elderly patrons. He was the last person anyone suspected. At night, however, Thomas transformed. He wasn't driven by rage or revenge. He didn't hear voices or feel compelled. He was simply... curious. What did fear look like? How did the human body respond to slow, methodical dissection? Could he recreate the perfect expression of peace in death? He documented everything-scrapbooks filled with notes, Polaroids, and autopsy sketches. He believed each "project" brought him closer to understanding the soul. But he made one mistake: Mara Lin's niece was his eleventh. Mara followed the clues no one else saw-the misplaced library checkout timestamps, the rare flower only found in Thomas's greenhouse, the way he always seemed to know more than he let on. When she finally cornered him in his basement studio, she saw what he had done. And Thomas, smiling like one of his lifeless portraits, simply said, "Do you see it now, detective? The beauty in stillness?" Mara didn't respond. She just raised her gun and ended the collection.

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The Alpha King's Hated Slave

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Kiss Leilani
4.9

Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .

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