Mill P Writes

  Read Part One Read Part Two Read Part Three Read Part Four Read Part Five Read Part Six Read Part Seven Read Part Eight Read Part Nine Read Part Ten Part Eleven                          As Aiden and Kael were escorted through the cold, sterile corridors of the colony, their shackles clinking with each step, an unspoken tension hung between them. Their path diverged from the holding cells, leading instead to a bustling communications hub alive with a flurry of activity. The reason for the commotion became clear as they rounded a corner: standing amidst a cluster of stunned guards was a Seraphim envoy. Unlike Valryn, whose presence was imposing yet tempered by the role of interpreter, this Seraphim exuded raw, unrestrained power. It was a living blade of light and motion, its elongated limbs glowing with bioluminescent patterns that flowed and shifted like the tides of a moonlit ocean. Its semi-transparent ...

  Read Part One Read Part Two Read Part Three Read Part Four Read Part Five Read Part Six Read Part Seven Read Part Eight Read Part Nine Part Ten   The dome loomed like an ominous titan in the distance, its surface reflecting a ghostly sheen through the ever-thickening mist. The Naerissyn had risen to a suffocating density, transforming the battlefield into an ethereal abyss. Every step forward felt like wading into a dream—or a nightmare—where the world dissolved into shifting light and shadow. Aiden squinted, barely able to make out the figures beside him. The Seraphim stood tall and still, their luminous forms partially obscured by the swirling mist. It clung to them like a living thing, curling around their wings and limbs in a silent embrace. Valryn was at the center, her eyes closed as if communing with the very essence of the moon itself. “It’s fighting back,” Valryn murmured, her voice carrying an unearthly resonance. She opened her eyes, the glow within them i...

  Let me start by saying this: Mario Koran’s essay in The Guardian , “ How Prison and Addiction Shaped My Life as a Writer ,” hit me like a freight train. I related to his words on addiction so deeply that I almost spilled my coffee reading it—yes, coffee, because I’m one of those recovering alcoholics who has swapped whiskey for caffeine (a fair trade, in my opinion). Koran writes about how alcoholism “stole years from my life and rewired my brain,” and let me tell you, that line deserves a standing ovation. Because if addiction is a thief, my brain has been the scene of the crime more times than I can count. Thankfully, my story doesn’t involve prison or setting anything on fire—unless we count the metaphorical dumpster fire of my life during my drinking days, in which case, hand me the extinguisher. There’s a part in the essay where Koran describes drinking as “a way to feel brave, even when I wasn’t.” And oof, did that one cut deep. I can’t tell you how many times I chugged ...

Stop the presses. Hold onto your hats. Call your grandmother. UC Davis Health has dropped an absolute bombshell in their article, “ Social Media’s Impact on Our Mental Health and Tips to Use It Safely .” And what, pray tell, is this groundbreaking discovery? Social media might not be all sunshine and serotonin for your mental health. Gasp. I know. I’ll give you a moment to recover. In a move reminiscent of scientists confirming that water is, in fact, wet, the article lays bare the utterly shocking truth: spending too much time scrolling through a highlight reel of everyone else’s (likely exaggerated) perfect lives can make you feel bad. Who knew? The article helpfully explains how “the constant barrage of curated images and posts can lead to unrealistic comparisons,” adding that this can contribute to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. This is news to no one except, perhaps, your Great Aunt Mildred, who’s still trying to figure out how to turn on her iPhone. For the rest of ...

  Read Part One Read Part Two Read Part Three Read Part Four Read Part Five Read Part Six Read Part Seven Read Part Eight Part Nine   The armored convoy came to a halt, engines rumbling like an angry beast ready to pounce. Dust swirled around the vehicles, mingling with the faint, otherworldly haze of the Naerissyn, giving the scene an almost surreal glow. The soldiers disembarked with precision, forming a line that bristled with firepower. Aiden, Kael, and Orin exchanged uneasy glances. Behind them, Jeph and Garret stood at attention, their military training instinctively kicking in, even after all these years. The Reavers lingered farther back, half-concealed in the alien undergrowth, their uneasy silence punctuated by the occasional scrape of a blade being drawn or a weapon being checked. From the largest vehicle emerged the commander, his exosuit polished to a dull gleam that caught the weak light of Theta-13’s distant sun. His face was half-hidden by a visor, but ...

  Tinnitus: the soundtrack nobody asked for but many of us get. If you’ve ever experienced that relentless ringing, buzzing, or humming in your ears, you’ll know it’s less like a soothing white noise machine and more like an annoying party guest who refuses to leave. And thanks to Harvard Health’s latest deep dive into this auditory enigma, we now have some fresh insights into what’s happening when your ears decide to throw their own private concert—and, spoiler alert, it’s not all in your head. Well, actually, it kind of is. The article kicks things off with a sobering stat: Tinnitus affects about 10% to 15% of people. That’s a lot of folks walking around with a built-in kazoo. The piece quickly reminds us that tinnitus isn’t a disease but a symptom. "Think of it as a fire alarm going off,” it explains. Great, now my ears are screaming “fire!” and I’m stuck searching for the nonexistent flames. Thanks, body. Super helpful. But here’s where things get really interesting: Researc...

  Sometimes, science delivers revelations so groundbreaking that you have to sit down, clutch your pearls, and whisper, “Well, I never!” Other times, it hands you conclusions so forehead-slappingly obvious, you wonder how researchers managed to keep a straight face. The study on sugar-sweetened beverages and their effects on weight gain? Oh, this one’s a Captain Obvious moment for the ages. Spoiler alert: Drinking sugary drinks makes you gain weight. In other news, water is wet, the sky is blue, and toddlers are bad at keeping secrets. According to this brilliant exposé of the blatantly apparent, "the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain and obesity." Shocking, right? Who could have guessed that guzzling liquid candy like it’s the nectar of the gods might lead to some... unfavorable results around the midsection? Certainly not me, a former devotee of double-size sodas that contained enough sugar to keep a preschool classroom running laps fo...

Read Part One Read Part Two Read Part Three Read Part Four Read Part Five Read Part Six Read Part Seven Part Eight   The Reavers closed in, their forms ghosting out of the Naerissyn like wraiths. Cloaked in patchwork armor scavenged from countless raids, their visors glinted faintly in the dim, otherworldly light. Each movement was calculated, predatory, and silent, save for the faint crunch of boots against the coarse ground. Kael’s hand hovered over her weapon, her breaths shallow and measured. “They’re human,” she whispered, her voice laced with unease. “Maybe we can reason with them.” “They’re killers,” Orin growled, shifting his weight as he unsheathed his blade with a metallic rasp. His bloodshot eyes narrowed, his posture swaying slightly but poised to strike. “And they bleed like the rest of us.” He smirked, the faint reek of Starfire on his breath. “Though I’m guessin’ they won’t bleed half as pretty as I will.” Aiden shot him a sharp look. “Stay focused, Orin.” ...