Magic Card Apocalypse

[Participant in April 2025 Writathon Challenge] A magical apocalypse was far outside of anyone's cognition for the end of the modern world— a chaotic new reality that humanity was simply thrust into, watching helplessly as everything they knew transformed around them. Celes Greymore, the Blue Phoenix, had seized every opportunity within her means, clawing her way to the peak of humanity as the strongest Card Master and a revered leader of a great stronghold. Yet behind her legend lurked regrets and past mistakes— wounds that never truly healed. Even at her peak, she was nothing before the greater alien races and invaders, a single adult member of the dragon, angel, archdemon, or titan clans could wipe away everything she knew and had, were they so inclined. Strongest? Yes. But what was that worth really when you couldn't save all those you wished to and had to run, hide, and look away just the same? O'Brien was merely a nameless mercenary with nothing to lose and no one who would mourn his disappearance. Fortune had abandoned him long ago, leaving him a pawn on a blood-soaked chessboard not of his making. He didn't know what kept him going, was it hate? unwillingness to succumb? desperation? It was all of those things, the harsh reality of who he was and who he never could be. As different as night and day, the fates of these two inexplicably intertwined during a desperate future war. Together, they seized a holy treasure, the cause of the war, that, unbeknownst to them, could reverse time itself.  Hurled into the past, granted a second chance, the chance to rewrite history— What paths would they choose? How will the world bend under their influence? And can humanity reclaim its sovereignty through their actions? Against the myriad races? The clock is ticking. The apocalypse looms. And this time, they were prepared for what was to come. Weekday releases: Mon & Fri @ 5 a.m. EST What to expect: -Two protagonists (Female & Male, Kingdom building vs Adventure, Hero vs Anti-hero) -Lit Rpg elements but no system or leveling (cultivation-based progression) -Unique cultivation system -Grim dark -Slow buildup to magic card battles