âShare your pain with me.â A promise. Words of empathy twisted from fear of self doubt. A punishment for what Haise had doneâŚ
He knows fate to be a fickle master watching his every move. Each day he hopes the next to be less daunting, as he runs from the present that hunts him and hides from the memories that haunt him.
Sick from childhood, Haiseâs efforts amount to less than his peers in Talent and qi cultivation, but this never stops him from believing he can save those in need. Instead, he is forsaken by the gods, mistreated by the people, and pitied by the demons.
In a moment of peril, as a spiteful being attacks, the past reaches for him. A hand of kindness, a voice full of sweet words, and the touch of desire. A hidden truth behind his stalker's intimate whispers unravel Haise's composure, as he finds this man to be more than a stranger.
A dark fantasy that will grab hold and embrace your world through a twisted journey of self discovery and the intrigue of morals. As the mysteries continue to unfold, how far are you willing to go?
âShare your pain with me.â A promise. Words of empathy twisted from fear of self doubt. A punishment for what Haise had doneâŚ
He knows fate to be a fickle master watching his every move. Each day he hopes the next to be less daunting, as he runs from the present that hunts him and hides from the memories that haunt him.
Sick from childhood, Haiseâs efforts amount to less than his peers in Talent and qi cultivation, but this never stops him from believing he can save those in need. Instead, he is forsaken by the gods, mistreated by the people, and pitied by the demons.
In a moment of peril, as a spiteful being attacks, the past reaches for him. A hand of kindness, a voice full of sweet words, and the touch of desire. A hidden truth behind his stalker's intimate whispers unravel Haise's composure, as he finds this man to be more than a stranger.
A dark fantasy that will grab hold and embrace your world through a twisted journey of self discovery and the intrigue of morals. As the mysteries continue to unfold, how far are you willing to go?
The bitterness of lazy winter had thrown its first tantrum as
autumn swiftly departed with the last hope of warmth. The
ground was lightly covered with freshly fallen snow. Trees
that stood bare at the townâs edge held clusters of huddling
birds, who forwent migrating in defiance of the harsh winds
and faced the days to come with bold tenacity.
The same went for the people who lived here in Dramour.
Built around, through, and on multiple mountainsides with
cliffs so sheer that stomachs churned and waterfalls so tall
they rivalled the majestic dragonâs great length, the eternal
flowering city proudly perched.
Within this interconnected kingdom, spirits were at an all
time high. It mattered not that the weather disagreed, as the
most grandiose festival had seized the land. The Festival of
Celestial Arts brought people together from far and wide.
It was a time when anyone and everyone could show their
worth to the gods through the arts. If the emperor of the
heavenly realm considered your talent exceptional, you were
guaranteed to ascend and take your station amongst the
worthy. If not, the cloaked heavenly immortals roaming the
city, enjoying what the festival had to offer, would also keep
an eye out for potential understudies. Haise Alsta had been to
the festival only once before and was too young to remember
the experience. His family had struggled for many years but
had always made sure to save for the festival, so heâd
promised them he would enjoy it and make it as memorable
as possible.
Throughout the city, he could spot all manner of sculptures
boasting incredible craftsmanship. Most bore a resemblance
to a worshipped deity. Those that took the shape of leaping
animals and tiny spirits appeared to struggle against their
frozen forms, willing their small sculpted bodies to bounce
and their wings to flutter. Among the festival lights, dance
and song brought old tales of love and valour to life. In tiered
dresses, performers leapt side to side on the cobbled streets.
Ribbons of bright cloth followed their path, twirling
obediently to a rhythm only they shared.
Told in layers of paint, stories of great calamities that had
shaken the realms took hold of canvases and strangled out
their light. Haise took in the swirls of white-painted silk that
flowed from the waist of a forlorn maiden. He preferred this
scene to the more lurid canvases that screamed out for
attention.
Shoving past him, children ran and played with intricate
playthings. Unperturbed by the sudden jostle, Haise watched
as their toys came to life when thrown to the heavens, each
one gliding on handcrafted wings or similar appendages.
The smell of food hung in the air, the choices varying from
the traditionally festive to the wild spices of Vale that took
your tongue to foreign lands. Haise acknowledged the
impossibility of tasting everything and decided instead to be
thankful he was there amid the flamboyant crowds of artisans.
Heavenly music continued to flow on the wind as hushed
voices awaited the arrival of the head of the Immortal Clan,
patriarch of the leading family branch, the House of Eternal
Blossoms: Zander Emrys, who was to arrive with his only
heir, Yasu Emrys. Yasu would take on the patriarch role after
his fatherâs passing, and he happened to be Haiseâs age,
though Haise often wondered why everyone placed him on a
pedestal. Catching a glimpse of him was rare; most hadnât
even seen a painting of his image. Yasu, the little heir,
seemed distant and so fragile that a slight breeze could
crumble him into dust. Haise had seen this from time to time
when he snuck into the Immortal Clanâs estate. It was as if
Yasuâs body were present but his heart and soul were
somewhere else.
Now I take the risk for joy . . .
Haise had always thought it strange that Yasuâs life was so
strict. Understanding and fulfilling his duties was one thing,
but being unable to attend the festival afterwards was another.
To Haise, it seemed like utter nonsense. The patriarch thought
too highly of his family, so high he dared not allow his son to
prattle with the commoners. Haise decided heâd rather not
stick around to hear the ingenuine speech to come, knowing
full well it was nothing Yasu wished to say, so he left to buy a
gift for his mother. Although he had little money, it would at
least be one birthday he hadnât missed.
That evening, long after the speeches were told and the
present was bought, he stumbled into the fickle hands of fate
when he came upon Yasu standing between two marquees,
humming a gentle melody that they had created together.
Startled by Haiseâs sudden appearance, the fireflies that had
come to rest on Yasuâs shoulders began flitting about,
twinkling in frustration.
I pray the keeper miss my ploy . . .
Yasu took a nervous step away; the dazzling festival lights
behind Haise cast a long shadow. The cold winds caused
Haiseâs cheeks to blush, and he quickly said, âWait! Itâs me,
Haise.â
Now that Haise was close enough to see Yasuâs face, it
made him feel out of place, for what he saw was no longer
boyish charm. Yasuâs attire for the festival was the definition
of elegance and refinement, except for his hair, which had
been bundled in the same state of dishevelment Haise had
always seen it in.
Haise giggled; the look was certainly unique. Yasu didnât
seem to mind, as he smiled, laughing a little as well.
âLet me fix your hair.â Haise beckoned him closer.
Peering down towards Haiseâs hand, Yasu saw a small
wooden crane. Painted all white and adorned with a circlet,
the crane stood regal despite its humble origins. It was the gift
Haise had meant for his mother. He had grabbed it earlier
from a toy stall nearby.
He knew his mother would be more upset that he hadnât
purchased food instead, so with much deliberation and a
slight frown, Haise stretched out his hand and delivered it
carefully to the heir.
âAre . . . are you giving this to me?â The unexpected gift
took Yasu aback. Apart from Haise, no one willingly
approached him because of his father, so gifts and friends
were almost nonexistent. Haise wasnât scared of Yasuâs father
or his dogs or his status as patriarch.
Smiling gently, Haise coughed under his breath. âOf
course. My mother would scold me if I brought it home. She
would have wanted me to spend my coin on food.â
Yasu gratefully took the wooden crane and sat, delighted,
while Haise retied his hair.
If death shows before dayâs end . . .
âI promise to cherish it for all eternity,â he said with a firm
resolve that surprised Haise. He realised that no one but Yasu
ever took anything he said or did seriously.
âA thanks would do, Your Heir-y-ness.â Haise teasingly
bowed while pulling out the bottom of his shirt in an attempt
to curtsy. Yasu laughed, and Haise grabbed his hand, guiding
them onto the street.
Haise had thought he already knew quite a bit about Yasu,
but meandering through the crowds and shops, he learnt much
more. Yasu had a weakness for sweet food, could make
anything out of paper, and had read almost every book within
the Immortal Clanâs library, including the secret room, to
which members of the House of Eternal Blossoms had
exclusive access.
He even told Haise that he hated his last name and thanked
him for always calling him Yasu. Haise knew better than to
pry but it didnât stop his curiosity; it only suppressed its
vocalisation.
As the festival drew to an end, Yasu appeared to grow
more anxious. Haise watched him as he glanced around, his
eyes wandering over everything. Based on Yasuâs fixed stares
at whatever he picked up, it was easy to deduce that
repayment was on his mind, even though Haise neither had
asked nor wished for anything in return.
Haise was about to tell Yasu not to worry, as he knew
firsthand how tricky it could be to pick out a present for
someone, but Yasu looked determined. Yet he seemed to be
finding the exercise particularly difficult, as every item he
picked up went straight back down. Haise didnât want to hurt
his feelings by rejecting his effort; still, there was no such
thing as a perfect gift.
He paused next to a stall, his thoughts shifting to the
contents. On display were various feminine trinkets, such as
jewellery, perfume, combs, fans, and other items, all
handmade from unique materials like tortoiseshell, silver,
elder wood, porcelain, glass, and bone. Although his luck
wasnât exceptional, this would no less provide an opportunity
to ease Yasuâs stress. Haiseâs eyes drifted across the
arrangement as though he were trying to spot the elusive
needle in the haystack.
A tap upon his shoulder had Haise turning his attention
back to Yasu, who had opened his hands towards Haise to
reveal a beautiful white elder wood fan with a simple crane
painted on it. There was more to this piece than met the eye.
Every folding section of the fan held a polished lightweight
blade with a bevelled edge sharp enough to compete with any
sword.
The shopkeeper spoke jovially and with a hint of surprise.
âMaster Emrys . . . oh my, it is a pleasure to see you. The fan
you hold is the perfect gift for a young lady cultivator. Does
Master Emrys wish it to be wrapped and anonymously gifted?
We deliver very quickly, and for you, absolutely free!â Haise
snorted, and Yasu blushed.
âNo thank you.â Haiseâs amusement was far too obvious.
âI believe the gift is for me.â Yasu could no longer bear to
even look in Haiseâs direction. Still, he held out the fan for
him to take.
At the end of the handle was a delicate tassel pendant with
a few pale-yellow carved beads. The piece was stunning and
way beyond the price range of his own gift, but refusing it
now would only hurt Yasu. He shook his head, and the
massive smile spreading across his face turned quickly into
joyful laughter. What a strange day it had been.
Yasu peeked up with warm eyes and relished his
happiness. Snow turned to rain as Yasu smiled fondly, and
raw emotion shone through his brimming tears.
Little did Haise know that this night was merely the
beginning of a tragedy that would blossom into lasting
misfortune and steal what little humanity remained in
Dramour.
I pray my love for you transcends . . .
Heavenly Demonic is the first book in the Heavenly Demonic series by Nemu Sai. Haise is a young man who is perpetually behind others his age in terms of qi cultivation and talent though he is outstanding at using his qi through his music. When he is attacked while on a walk one day he and his mentor, Hiro, consult a friend to discover what to do about the attacker. To potentially prevent future attacks Haise must travel to an alternate realm and find the true perpetrator behind them. In order to do so though he must travel across the land to find the gate, something which forces Haise to face his past. Along the way he discovers more about the threat but also about someone who is following him in an attempt to protect him. The further he travels the more he learns about what is currently going on but also about the potential mysterious ties it may have to his own past.
This was an interesting read and something that I enjoyed reading as it was different from a lot of what I normally come across. There were however a few things that made it a little difficult to follow at times. One of the big ones was the use of flashbacks. This is not something I typically mind being included in a story but in this one I felt like the flashbacks were dominating the story, so much so that I felt slightly disoriented when they ended and we returned to the main story. It was probably just because of how long they were but I still felt like this was a slight issue, at least for me. In terms of the plot for the story, I was intrigued by it and found myself trying to figure out exactly how their version of magic through the use of qi actually worked. While that could have been better explained it was still explained well enough that the story worked overall in that regard. The one thing I felt wasnât explained was the differences between the realms and someone going from one to the other and back as that feels like it will be an important plot point in later installments. I liked the character of Haise though and am eager to learn more about his past as I felt like only the relevant parts have been touched on so far. A good book though and I am happy to give it three out of five stars.
This is a good example of a fantasy novel and would probably hold some decent appeal to readers who tend to prefer that genre. It is aimed primarily at adult readers and I would mostly agree with that as it does contain some potentially disturbing content. Some of what Haise faces is a little gruesome and graphic at times. Beyond that it was pretty good though so I have no problems recommending it.