Deep Down Your Black Heart
In the shattered remains of a divided world, Rivermirror stands as a city of shadows—ruled by chaos, secrets, and ruthless ambition. Among its broken streets and hidden corners, two lives converge: Hound, a mercenary cursed by visions of fractured futures, and Argent, a deadly assassin whose silver-braided hair slices through enemies as easily as her carefully crafted lies. Bound by a soul brand, their uneasy alliance thrusts them into a heist that ignites a chain of betrayal, war, and unimaginable consequences.
When a daring raid on River's military vault unearths a dark attribute symbiote and a mysterious core relay, the balance of power between two fractured nations is forever altered. As commanders plot revenge, and Rivermirror’s elites spin their webs of deceit, Hound and Argent must navigate a labyrinth of loyalty, survival, and ambition.
But trust is a luxury in a city where betrayal is currency, and every choice pushes them closer to a future neither can fully control. With the line between villain and hero blurred, how far will they go to escape their fates? And what price are they willing to pay to survive in a world where hope is as fleeting as shadows?
Dark, gripping, and unapologetically raw, Deep Down Your Black Heart is a dystopian fantasy that delves into the depths of ambition, morality, and the haunting weight of choices.
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Chapter: A Throne Born From AshTears streaked his face with a precision that seemed almost artistic, each drop accentuating the anguish as he gently caressed Argent’s cold, pale face. His movements were slow, deliberate, as if savoring every fleeting moment of connection with her lifeless form. At a distance, the seers whispered among themselves, their eyes flitting between him and the others, their murmurs laced with doubt and suspicion about his loyalty. Despite the weight of their judgment, Hound lay there, unmoving, consumed by his grief for the remainder of the day.“A streaking silver flame, burning through the streets, destroying property and reducing citizens to ash without discernible cause... there’s only one person who fits the description,” Blanc stated as he entered the room, stepping through the shattered remnants of the door with his cane tapping rhythmically against the floor. Emily trailed closely behind him, her steps cautious, while Bleak staggered in after them, his face battered and bruised fro
Last Updated: 2025-01-10
Chapter: Chapter 21 - Tears of Insanity“Well, at least that’s what I thought initially, but you survived a dark symbiote. That changes everything,” Bleak stated, retracting his claws. “A possibility I planned for.”Hound circled him slowly, as if strategizing his next strike, waiting for the perfect moment. “Here without backup, not even a means of communication. You must be a man with a death sentence.”Bleak stood confidently in the center of the room, fully aware of Hound’s every micro-movement. “Why don’t you take a peep at the future? More specifically, a few minutes from now at Demi Hotel, room number 14.”Hound complied, using Bleak’s soul fragments—the strongest connection to the vision. One of his eyes began to burn rapidly, silver-lined smoke streaking from it as he continued to circle. His other eye remained silver, burning but steady. This new ability, part of his evolution, allowed him to scavenge webs of the near future while remaining conscious in the present.Then, his eye went dark. The darkness transition
Last Updated: 2025-01-09
Chapter: Chapter 20 - The Devil's ReincarnationThe name Evee sparked fear in every man’s heart. It had been a week since River soldiers stepped foot in Rivermirror. While most were able to migrate from the infected area, tens of thousands of River citizens were absorbed into the aftermath. Their houses burned, their families burned, joining the infernal. It spread like a virus until it annihilated a quarter of River.However, the city made a speedy recovery, restoring a makeshift balance. Despite the recovery, a lingering unease hung in the air like smoke that refused to dissipate.“They’re always a step ahead… almost like they survey us. What am I missing?” Bleak muttered, jotting on his whiteboard. The squeaks of the marker echoed through the dimly lit, isolated room. His gaze drifted over the scattered notes, connecting fragments of information like pieces of a puzzle. “What are you thinking, Emily? Leaving River will only complicate your sentence.”Bleak paused, his brow furrowed, as he connected the misplaced points. He recal
Last Updated: 2025-01-08
Chapter: Chapter 19 - From Ashes, We RiseThe roar of a gunshot cut through the air, breaking the suffocating silence. The commander’s backup, trained to respond without hesitation, immediately redirected their focus toward its origin.“Come on!” Evee called out, her voice sharp and urgent as she sprinted through the haze of chaos. She didn’t give Emily a chance to process or second-guess. Instinctively, Emily followed, her feet pounding against the ground as they disappeared into the smoke that choked the city.The devastation they left behind was unimaginable. With the destruction of Ebonspire Academy, River's hope for maintaining its supremacy had all but crumbled. What little control the soldiers had managed to maintain evaporated, replaced by an uncontrollable panic that spread like wildfire.The academy lay in ruins—a massive crater at its heart marked ground zero. The once-grand institution was reduced to rubble, with nearby buildings incinerated and structures within a three-mile radius fractured, barely standing. Ove
Last Updated: 2025-01-07
Chapter: Chapter 18 - Black MirrorThe tension in the interrogation room was palpable, the dim light casting shadows over Commander Bleak’s stern expression. “You owe him no allegiance, Emily,” he said firmly, his voice cutting through the silence. “To my knowledge, he even defiled you.”The words hung heavy in the air, echoing in the isolated dark room, empty except for two chairs and the metallic table that separated them. Emily’s gaze drifted past the commander, landing on the one-way mirror behind him. Her disappointment was evident as she spoke, her voice laced with bitterness. “Unfuckingbelievable! And I thought I could trust you.”Behind the mirror, Daryl stood silently, his face a mixture of shame and regret as he absorbed her words.Bleak’s voice was steady as he pressed on. “What happened? Every detail, please.”“I already told you everything. What more do you want to—”“Tell me again,” Bleak interrupted, his tone polite but unyielding.Emily exhaled sharply, her frustration mounting. “He kidnapped me with hi
Last Updated: 2025-01-06
Chapter: Chapter 17 - The Catalyst of ChaosThe soldiers came in waves, their airships slicing through the misty skies like silent predators. Shadows darkened the streets of Rivermirror as armed men dropped from the skies, their boots hitting the ground with unrelenting purpose. Their mission was clear: retrieve the symbiote and relay core, and capture Argent and Hound—dead or alive. Failure was not an option. Mercy wasn’t part of the briefing.The streets emptied as though the city itself had stopped breathing. The Seers had vanished without a trace, their usual defiance replaced by a chilling silence. Blanc’s hotel, the first location to be raided, stood eerily abandoned. The soldiers found nothing. No evidence of life. Not a single personal belonging. It was as if the building itself had never been inhabited.The quiet streets of Rivermirror told a story of fear and survival. Nine years had passed since the war, but the scars remained. Now, with River’s soldiers parading through the city like it was their conquest, the memor
Last Updated: 2025-01-05