Flash Stories

The Curse of Love and Immortality - Chapter 6: The Song of Anahita

dehongi Jan. 16, 2025, 12:13 p.m.

The king’s voice carried a musical rhythm as he began the next tale, as if echoing the melody of the story itself. The princess, already captivated by the flicker of the firelight and the deepening night, listened intently.
“Tonight,” he said, “I will tell you of Anahita, the Pari whose voice was said to be the most enchanting sound in the world. Her song could stop rivers in their flow, calm raging storms, and even make the stars weep with joy. Yet, it was her song that bound her heart forever to a wandering prince.”
The princess leaned forward. “A Pari with such a gift—did she sing for all, or only for him?”
The king smiled faintly. “Anahita sang for the world. She was a traveler, never staying long in one place. Her voice brought solace to the weary, joy to the broken-hearted, and hope to those who had none. Yet, for all …

The Curse of Love and Immortality - Chapter 5: Yasmin and the Prince of Winter

dehongi Jan. 16, 2025, 12:11 p.m.

The king’s voice carried a chill that matched the story he was about to tell. The flickering flames in the hearth seemed to dance slower as he began, their warmth struggling against the weight of the tale.
“Tonight,” he said, “we speak of Yasmin, the Pari who gave her heart to a prince cursed by winter—a man whose life was bound to frost and snow, who could never feel the warmth of spring.”
The princess tilted her head. “A curse? Was it magic?”
The king nodded. “It was. The prince, Darian, had once been beloved by the gods of the seasons, but his pride earned him their wrath. He dared to say he needed no one—not even the gods themselves. For his arrogance, he was cursed to live in perpetual winter. Snow followed him wherever he went, and ice bloomed under his touch. No fire could warm him, and no sun could thaw …

The Curse of Love and Immortality - Chapter 4: The Melancholy of Elnaz

dehongi Jan. 16, 2025, 12:10 p.m.

The king sat in silence for a moment, gazing at the flickering candlelight as if seeing another time, another place. The princess waited, sensing the weight of the tale he was about to share.
“Tonight,” he began softly, “I will tell you of Elnaz, the Pari who fell in love with a poet. Her story is one of beauty and sorrow, of words that wove their way into her immortal heart.”
The princess’s brow furrowed. “A poet? Did he write of her?”
The king smiled faintly. “Not at first. Elnaz lived in a secluded valley, far from human eyes. Her days were spent wandering among fields of wildflowers, her heart untouched by the fleeting lives of mortals. But one day, she heard something that stopped her in her tracks—a voice, soft and rich, reciting verses that seemed to carry the weight of the stars. She followed the sound and found him.”
The princess leaned …

The Curse of Love and Immortality - Chapter 3: Soraya, the Dancer of Flames

dehongi Jan. 16, 2025, 12:09 p.m.

The fire in the hearth flickered brightly, casting long, dancing shadows across the room. The princess watched the flames with quiet fascination, as though searching for the story her father was about to share. The king sat across from her, his gaze heavy with remembrance.
“Tonight,” he began, his voice steady yet tinged with melancholy, “I will tell you of Soraya, the Pari who danced with fire and set a prince’s heart ablaze.”
The princess turned her full attention to him. “She danced with fire?”
The king nodded. “Soraya was unlike any Pari before her. While many of her kind reveled in nature’s serenity—waterfalls, moonlight, and the whisper of the wind—Soraya found joy in the untamed beauty of fire. She was drawn to its warmth, its unpredictability, and the way it could illuminate even the darkest night. Her every movement was a reflection of its wild nature, and her dances were said to …

The Curse of Love and Immortality - Chapter 2: Lila of the Forgotten Grove

dehongi Jan. 16, 2025, 12:08 p.m.

The fire burned low in the great hall, its golden glow casting soft light over the princess and her father. Tonight, the king seemed more somber than usual, as though the story he carried weighed heavier on his heart.
“Do you know of the Forgotten Grove, my child?” he asked, his voice calm but tinged with sadness.
The princess shook her head, setting her tea aside. “No, Father. What is it?”
“It is a place that no longer exists,” he said, his eyes fixed on the fire. “But long ago, it was a sanctuary, a haven hidden deep within the heart of an enchanted forest. Only the lost could find their way there, and only those with sorrow in their hearts could truly see it.”
The princess’s curiosity was piqued. “And what happened there?”
The king leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “That is where Lila lived. She was a Pari of the forest, her …

The Curse of Love and Immortality - Chapter 1: The Tale of Aylin, the Star-Kissed

dehongi Jan. 16, 2025, 12:06 p.m.

The fire crackled softly in the great hall, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. The princess, seated on a velvet cushion beside her father, cradled a warm cup of tea in her hands. It was their nightly ritual—a quiet hour after dinner when the king would share a story, each one revealing another layer of the world’s mysteries.
“Tonight,” the king began, his voice as steady as the waves of the distant sea, “I shall tell you the tale of Aylin, the Star-Kissed.”
The princess tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. “Star-Kissed?”
The king nodded, leaning back in his chair. “Aylin was a Pari of unmatched beauty. Her eyes shimmered like the first light of dawn, and her voice was as soothing as the lull of twilight. But what set her apart was her fascination with the stars. While other Paris reveled in the earthly pleasures of forests, rivers, and winds, Aylin …

The Curse of Love and Immortality - Prologue

dehongi Jan. 16, 2025, 11:54 a.m.

The Curse of Love and Immortality
Long ago, in the cradle of creation, a race of ethereal beings was woven into existence by the hands of the Divine. These beings were called Paris—immortal, luminous creatures with beauty so profound it could humble even the most virtuous heart. They were human-like in their appearance, but for the slight curve of their pointed ears and the way their presence seemed to brighten even the darkest of spaces.
Paris were gifted immortality, yet burdened with a singular affliction: the capacity to love mortals. The moment a Pari's heart surrendered to a human, she would forsake her eternal life. This was no simple sacrifice; the act of falling in love would tether her to the mortal world, slowly unraveling the threads of her timeless existence.
The greatest tragedy of all, however, lay in their motherhood. Should a Pari give birth to a daughter, the immortality she once …

The Gathering

hamed Jan. 15, 2025, 6:30 p.m.

The sun dipped low behind the mountains, casting a golden glow over the valley where the red earth met the tall trees. Mara sat on the edge of the fire pit, her fingers tracing the patterns of the ancestral symbols carved into the stone. Her grandmother’s voice echoed in her mind, as it often did in moments like this.

“Our stories are in the land, in the air, in the rivers. We are the land, and it is us.”

Mara closed her eyes, trying to summon the strength that had been passed down through generations. The fight for recognition, for justice, had been long and weary. But this... this was different. Something had shifted. People were listening now.

For decades, the land that her ancestors had cared for, nurtured, and fought for had been taken from them—first by colonizers, then by corporations, each one extracting resources, desecrating sacred sites, and …

The Empty Shelves

hamed Jan. 15, 2025, 6:28 p.m.

Lena glanced at the row of empty shelves in her small café, the faint hum of the refrigerator the only sound in the otherwise quiet space. The supply truck was supposed to arrive this morning, but she’d already received the call—another delay. The driver was stuck in traffic at the port, and who knew when he’d make it through. Lena sighed, leaning against the counter, her fingers tracing the edge of a cup she hadn’t served in days.

The global supply chain crisis. It wasn’t just news on the television anymore. It was her reality. It was the half-filled pantry and the empty pastry display, the rising cost of ingredients, and the delivery delays that seemed to stretch on forever. In the six months since the world had shifted beneath their feet, the ripple effects had reached every corner of her café, and the regulars who had once filled the …

Beyond the Horizon

hamed Jan. 15, 2025, 6:26 p.m.

Commander Elena Vasquez stood at the edge of the launch pad, the roar of the engines in the distance vibrating through her chest. The Crew Dragon capsule, sleek and white against the bright blue sky, sat poised like an arrow ready to pierce the heavens. It was almost time.

Her gloves felt tight, the material too smooth, too unfamiliar. She flexed her fingers inside the suit, willing her hands to stop shaking. The mission was historic—SpaceX’s first crewed launch to the International Space Station. But for Elena, it wasn’t the technology that filled her with awe. It was the people who had made it possible, the years of preparation, the endless nights of training. And most of all, it was the dream—her dream—that had started when she was just a little girl, watching the moon landing with her father, the stars above whispering her name.

"Commander Vasquez, are you ready?" …