Beneath the Smile

The whisper of old trees announced the approaching end, and the cold wind inexorably carried away tears from people's eyes. The peaceful radiance of the strong sun was already leaving this scorched earth, leaving it in the arms of desiccated despondency.

In shadows' embrace, where silence prevails, A solemn dance with the Reaper unveiled, Death, a companion to all in due time, Inevitable fate, no reason nor rhyme.

A world of the distant future. After a thousand-year setback in civilization, humanity returns to space and rediscovers inhabited planets. To the surprise of Earthlings, many planets have developed viable forms of symbiosis between natives and abandoned colonists. Karen, an alien language specialist, travels to the planet Gashran to study the goblin language. As can easily be seen, this work is a kind of fanfic for stories on Deviant Art, where the theme of goblins enslaving human women.

9-page short story.

Markayla Seymour’s stable but dull marriage unravels after she meets Shane, a younger, magnetic man with a mysterious edge. When her husband is killed as she flees a crime scene, she discovers Shane isn’t who he seemed. Heartbroken and adrift, she’s drawn to the man who once only intrigued her—yet he now feels almost unreal. Everyone has secrets… but some are far darker and closer than you ever imagine.

A modern girl, a child of the age of sarcasm, cynicism, and memes, accidentally finds herself in a real medieval setting at the height of religious wars. But Anzhelika isn’t one to despair, and by the way, now the noble Sultan Salah ad-Din, who has intrigued her since her school years, is very close by...

Two police officers investigate a case about a sect of crazy fanatics.

Her training as an enchantress is not even half complete. Her job is to kill monsters. She travels alone in a barbarian land, recently conquered by her compatriots. Her path does not promise to be easy, but she does not intend to retreat.

Interesting moments from ancient history.

The most frequently dying character types in art.