before the great chicago fire

Mark Turner awakens as a "useless" apprentice mage, instantly becoming the academy's laughingstock. Even his fiancée, Ellen Baker—the school's S-rank Blood Berserker—publicly breaks off their engagement, leaving him humiliated and shattered. But in the depths of despair, a mysterious voice awakens in his mind, pulling him into a mental world where a spirit girl appears. She reveals the truth: his SSS-tier talent has transformed his fire skill into a living spirit. Only the first seal of the five elements in his body has been unlocked. Beneath "useless" lies a powerful figure waiting to be awakened.

When Lord Orion is studying the Heavenly Law in Emerald Palace, a transmigrator's soul suddenly appears in his mind with the intention to possess him. Alas, the transmigrator underestimates Orion far too much, for its soul is instantly torn into pieces by the latter's powers. That's when the transmigrator's memory fragments start unraveling inside Orion's mind. There, Orion witnesses the Great Divine Calamity that's set to happen in the future. He also witnesses himself getting attacked by the Four Supreme Saints at that time.In the future, Orion's first disciple will be captured and made the Lord of Western Order. Three thousand followers of said disciple are doomed to their fates as the mounts of the Western Order's disciples. Even Saberlight, a seemingly good and honest saint, will turn on Orion and become the Joyful God of Light.

On my eighteenth birthday, the High King summoned the heirs of the four great clans—the Vampires, the Werewolves, the High Serpent Clan, and the Merfolk. He laid their portraits before me and said, "Choose one to be your bondmate." I did not hesitate. I pointed to Damon—the werewolf with no noble bloodline, born in a forgotten corner of the realm. The entire court erupted in disbelief. Everyone knew who I used to love. Alpha Iris—the heir of the most powerful Lycan bloodline. For seven years, I chased him with blind devotion. No matter how harshly he treated me, I never gave up. I confessed to him over and over, sometimes right in the royal court. I even performed a blood-binding ritual—slitting my wrist—to earn the right to marry him. In my previous life, I got what I wanted—I married him and we performed the mate bonding ceremony. With that union, he inherited the High King's resources and rose to become the ruler of all four clans. However, what I did not expect was that after our wedding, he turned around and marked my adoptive sister. My parents were furious and sent her away. From that day on, Iris hated me with a vengeance. He surrounded himself with women who all looked eerily like her. One by one, they came—each more vicious than the last. With his silent approval, they tore me down, piece by piece, until I was nothing more than a joke—no longer the queen I once was. The suffering pushed me into severe depression. Only suppressants keep my wolf form from spiraling out of control. Until one day, my medication was replaced with a slow-acting poison. He was the one who did it. I died alone, locked away in the cold palace, a child still growing inside me. However, fate gave me another chance. In this life, I would not make the same mistake. When the High King once again asked me to choose a partner for the marriage alliance, I chose Damon—the one no one ever noticed—without even blinking.

On my eighteenth birthday, the High King summoned the heirs of the four great clans—the Vampires, the Werewolves, the High Serpent Clan, and the Merfolk. He laid their portraits before me and said, "Choose one to be your bondmate." I did not hesitate. I pointed to Damon—the werewolf with no noble bloodline, born in a forgotten corner of the realm. The entire court erupted in disbelief. Everyone knew who I used to love. Alpha Iris—the heir of the most powerful Lycan bloodline. For seven years, I chased him with blind devotion. No matter how harshly he treated me, I never gave up. I confessed to him over and over, sometimes right in the royal court. I even performed a blood-binding ritual—slitting my wrist—to earn the right to marry him. In my previous life, I got what I wanted—I married him and we performed the mate bonding ceremony. With that union, he inherited the High King's resources and rose to become the ruler of all four clans. However, what I did not expect was that after our wedding, he turned around and marked my adoptive sister. My parents were furious and sent her away. From that day on, Iris hated me with a vengeance. He surrounded himself with women who all looked eerily like her. One by one, they came—each more vicious than the last. With his silent approval, they tore me down, piece by piece, until I was nothing more than a joke—no longer the queen I once was. The suffering pushed me into severe depression. Only suppressants keep my wolf form from spiraling out of control. Until one day, my medication was replaced with a slow-acting poison. He was the one who did it. I died alone, locked away in the cold palace, a child still growing inside me. However, fate gave me another chance. In this life, I would not make the same mistake. When the High King once again asked me to choose a partner for the marriage alliance, I chose Damon—the one no one ever noticed—without even blinking.

Luis Earl and his three siblings were born into a poor rural family, where despite their humble existence, they found happiness together. However, tragedy struck when their parents drowned unexpectedly, leaving the already struggling family shattered. At just 10 years old, Luis found himself unable to care for his younger siblings alone. In desperation to ensure their safety, he endured great pain and begged others to take them in, a decision that would separate them for 20 years. Over the next two decades, Luis lost contact with his siblings due to life's changes. Consumed by guilt, regret, and remorse, he blamed himself for their separation and dedicated 20 years to finding them again. Their paths converged once more when Luis's younger sister, Anna, returned as the chairperson of the Earl Group.

When Lord Orion is studying the Heavenly Law in Emerald Palace, a transmigrator's soul suddenly appears in his mind with the intention to possess him. Alas, the transmigrator underestimates Orion far too much, for its soul is instantly torn into pieces by the latter's powers. That's when the transmigrator's memory fragments start unraveling inside Orion's mind. There, Orion witnesses the Great Divine Calamity that's set to happen in the future. He also witnesses himself getting attacked by the Four Supreme Saints at that time.In the future, Orion's first disciple will be captured and made the Lord of Western Order. Three thousand followers of said disciple are doomed to their fates as the mounts of the Western Order's disciples. Even Saberlight, a seemingly good and honest saint, will turn on Orion and become the Joyful God of Light.

Luke Jordan, a member of Mystfell Clan, was a genius in cultivation. After 20 years of practice, he broke through the Heavenly Realm. His master, Xavier Jayden, having nothing more to teach him, called him talentless and expelled him. After leaving his master, Luke encountered Justin Jordan, the head of the Jordan family, who was on the brink of death due to a plot. Three professional doctors were at a loss. Julia, his daughter, was extremely anxious. Luke saved Justin. They said he had reached the Great Sage Realm, but Luke thought they were talking nonsense. The Jordan family offered to help him cultivate in gratitude. The Everspire Clan used Spiritual Pearl to test his potential, which caused the pearl to shatter and transform into the tenth lotus. Luke broke through the Heavenly Realm, becoming the top cultivator in the world!

At 18, Sheila Jean lost her parents to drug traffickers. To shield her three younger siblings, she faked a fire,shouldering the vendetta alone. When her investigation revealed powerful enemies, she placed her siblings in adoptive homes for protection, feigned selfishness, and hunted the culprits in secret. After avenging her parents, she became an undercover police agent.Thirty years on,Sheila,now 48, is a notorious figure nationwide. Her siblings, now successful elites, despise her. Gill, her third sister, uses advanced brain-computer tech to extract and live-stream Sheila's memories, aiming to "judge" her.Mandy,the second sister, steps in to experience Sheila's past, only to uncover shocking truths.

Karissa was the true heiress of the Beltran family, who had been lost and later found. However, she was then kidnapped by Ivy, the family's adopted daughter. In a bid to prove who their family truly cared about, Ivy set fire to the warehouse they were in. In her moment of peril, Karissa found that her parents and brothers chose to save Ivy, abandoning her to her fate. Just when her life hung in the balance, she saw Luis, someone she had once lived with, come to her rescue. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself reborn three years earlier. This time, Karissa was determined to change the course of her life.

Skyla Garrett, a girl with dreams of becoming a designer, and a wealthy heir, Zion Murray, fall quietly in love as teenagers, until a devastating fire changes everything. He rushes into the flames to save her and is left disfigured, forced to seek treatment abroad.When he finally returns, he finds her on the verge of engagement, not to him, but to his twin brother, whom she mistakenly believes rescued her that night. Unable to let go, and discovering his brother's hidden motives are far from pure, Zion weaves a careful plan to draw Skyla's heart back where it belongs. Their reconciled love not only heals them both but unravels years of silent tension between the brothers. Real love, it turns out, always finds its way home.

One moment he is a newly summoned baby fire dragon, expecting the sweet life of a contracted beast. The next, the girl who summoned him rips out his dragon core to feed a bear and kicks him into the trash. Alfie Lane survives, barely, clinging to the last thread of his life at the bottom of a garbage heap until the school beauty finds him and offers a contract.He takes it. The evolution system activates, the ancient bloodline stirs, and what started as the most humiliated creature in the beast taming world begins its climb. He devours, he grows, he evolves, and by the time he is standing in his divine dragon form the people who threw him away can only stare in disbelief. That was the F-rank trash dragon they discarded.Yes. That was him.

One moment he is a newly summoned baby fire dragon, expecting the sweet life of a contracted beast. The next, the girl who summoned him rips out his dragon core to feed a bear and kicks him into the trash. Alfie Lane survives, barely, clinging to the last thread of his life at the bottom of a garbage heap until the school beauty finds him and offers a contract.He takes it. The evolution system activates, the ancient bloodline stirs, and what started as the most humiliated creature in the beast taming world begins its climb. He devours, he grows, he evolves, and by the time he is standing in his divine dragon form the people who threw him away can only stare in disbelief. That was the F-rank trash dragon they discarded.Yes. That was him.

Fiona Simmons and Xavier Stanley were childhood sweethearts, but a devastating fire led Xavier to mistakenly believe that Fiona had intentionally refused to save him. Haunted by this grudge, He carried resentment toward her love throughout their three-year marriage.Deliberately picking fights, Xavier filed for divorce 100 times,and each time, Fiona swallowed her pride, pleading for forgiveness with undignified devotion. When Xavier filed for the 101st time and they walked out of the civil affairs office, his friends tripped Fiona and mocked her openly. Xavier watched coldly, ignored her injured knee, and left with his friend to attend a welcome party for Jenny Simmons. Heartbroken at last, Fiona decided to let go of their love forever and accepted a mysterious stranger's offer.

Fiona Simmons and Xavier Stanley were childhood sweethearts, but a devastating fire led Xavier to mistakenly believe that Fiona had intentionally refused to save him. Haunted by this grudge, He carried resentment toward her love throughout their three-year marriage.Deliberately picking fights, Xavier filed for divorce 100 times,and each time, Fiona swallowed her pride, pleading for forgiveness with undignified devotion. When Xavier filed for the 101st time and they walked out of the civil affairs office, his friends tripped Fiona and mocked her openly. Xavier watched coldly, ignored her injured knee, and left with his friend to attend a welcome party for Jenny Simmons. Heartbroken at last, Fiona decided to let go of their love forever and accepted a mysterious stranger's offer.

Yu-Jin was murdered by her husband Chan-Yeong and his mistress Na Ju-Hui. Shortly after, her sister Yu-Ri is also killed and finds herself back in time before Yujin and Chan-Yeong's wedding. Determined to take revenge for her sister, Yu-Ri decides to marry Chan-Yeong. Just then, her first love Tae-O reappears before her.

Lena Duncan lost her parents in a fire, leaving her with a huge debt and the responsibility of caring for her young brother. On her birthday, she met Allen, a debt collector, and their lives became intertwined when they discovered they shared the same birthday and had similar experiences. Allen, impressed by Lena's resilience, gave her extra time to repay her debts and helped her on several occasions. Lena's talent with numbers earned her a position at Allen's company. As they worked together, their bond grew stronger and feelings began to develop between them. They faced conflicts in the criminal underworld, family disputes, and even an arson threat. Allen sought revenge and reclaimed power for Lena. In the end, they let go of their past and reopened "Lena's Restaurant" together, eventually getting married and living happily ever after.

"Underage?" "No. I'm 19." "You know what you're doing here?" "Yes. I'll do it well." Cindy Jake, forced to leave school, went to apply for a part-time job, only to find herself in the role of a call girl, and she unexpectedly became pregnant with triplets in one night! "I don't dislike her being close." It was said that Chase Jorge, a ruthless tycoon who hated women the most, faced the possibility of being childless. Yet, he found himself inexplicably drawn to Cindy. Initially, his plan was to bring Cindy home to have the children, but he was becoming increasingly entangled. His wife's outrageous family dared to bully her? Teach them a harsh lesson! Colleagues at the factory dared to hurt her? Fire them all!

"Three worlds. One forbidden bond. A love that could ignite war." Selene Rhea was born a witch, sworn to her coven’s laws. She never asked for the fire that surged in her veins, or the fate that tied her to two sworn enemies: Rowan, a feral wolf bound by loyalty and rage, and Lucien, a vampire prince wrapped in shadow and hunger. Drawn together by an unbreakable bond, the three of them ignite a passion that is as dangerous as it is irresistible. Their nights burn with desire, their days thrum with power, and their bond becomes more than love — it becomes a storm. But forbidden love has a price. When wolves, witches, and vampires rise to tear them apart, Selene must embrace the terrifying truth: she is no longer just a witch. She is axis — the center of a bond that could either remake the world or burn it to ash. Blood will fall. Desire will consume. And war will begin.