Tempt: The Idol Demons, #1

By Sazora Stone

A feisty journalist looking for a big break,

The charismatic leader of an idol super-group,

And a mysterious portal that brings them together in a most unusual way.

When sassy music journalist Amy gets wasted after watching idol supergroup Sasin perform, she has an extraordinary encounter with the group's leader, Adam. Initially, she writes it off as a delusion before she gets blackmailed by the band's company into testing a new virtual reality system.

The strangest part? It's supposed to mimic a real-life date with Adam.

Realising she can use what she learns for an exposé, Amy enters a huge portal & becomes immersed in an incredibly realistic moment from her past. Strangely, things aren't quite the same here, as this amazing fantasy world contains some dark, paranormal undertones. Once Adam appears, they embark on a wild, crazy adventure which ends with a sizzling interlude that can't possibly be real.

Or is it? Because Amy's journalistic instincts are telling her something different, especially regarding Sasin's charismatic leader

The Idol Demon series is a set of paranormal romance adventures about a group of friends who become involved with an enigmatic new Korean idol band called Sasin. The underlying story is an absorbing, tangled mystery that will keep you guessing right till the end. In the first five books, each of the characters goes on an extraordinary virtual date with their favorite member of the group. They embark on incredible adventures where romance blossoms against the backdrop of their personal fantasy worlds.

It soon becomes clear nothing is what it seems as they are drawn into intrigues which will eventually lead them back to the little country town where they grew up.

As they unearth dark truths about Sasin, they learn many things about themselves and find unexpected love. Some of it is sweet, some is scorching hot. None of it will be forgettable.

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sazora Stone
• Release date: Dec 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9780645997224

Sazora Stone

Sazora is a huge fan of paranormal fantasies and romance, often immersing herself in worlds of imagination. Her writing is influenced by a wide range of authors including Jane Austen, J.R.R. Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, Isaac Asimov, Terry Pratchett and many others. She's a big fan of K-pop and decided to combine it with her passion for writing, developing the concept for a paranormal series based around this subject. It took her over two years to create the complex storyline for her paranormal romance and fantasy adventure saga 'The Idol Demons' which will span several books. Her adult tales are designed to be punchy and fun, so expect a lot of twists and turns as the characters progress through the over-arching story. Sazora creates all the artwork for her books and social media, as it inspires all kinds of wonderful ideas which she can then integrate into her stories. When she isn't writing or doing something related to it, this witchy creature enjoys dabbling in the occult, playing PC games, watching movies, or attempting to do some craft while she listens to music. You can find out more about Sazora, her books or just chat with her via any of her social media accounts. The easiest way to stay up to date with new releases and novels is to sign up to her newsletter or follow her on your favorite platform.

Book preview

Copyright

Tempt by Sazora Stone

© 2023 Sazora Stone

ISBN: 978-0-6459972-2-4

All rights reserved . No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by copyright law. For permissions contact Sazora Stone.

Cover art, interior art & Map by Sazora Stone. © 2023 Sazora Stone

No AI software was used in the creation of this story.

Disclaimer

This is a completely fictional story. The names, characters and incidents portrayed have been created by the writer. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Content Warning

Please be aware this tale contains adult themes and language. References to demons and paranormal happenings are also present.

The Idol Demons series is intended for mature readers. Visit Sazora Stone’s website for full details of all warnings.

Introduction

When sassy music journalist Amy gets wasted after watching idol supergroup Sasin perform, she has an extraordinary encounter with the group's leader, Adam. Initially, she writes it off as a delusion before she gets blackmailed by the band’s company into testing a new virtual reality system.

The strangest part? It's supposed to mimic a real-life date with Adam.

Realizing she can use what she learns for an exposé, Amy enters a huge portal & becomes immersed in an incredibly realistic moment from her past. Strangely, things aren’t quite the same here, as this amazing fantasy world contains some dark, paranormal undertones. Once Adam appears, they embark on a wild, crazy adventure which ends with a sizzling interlude which can't possibly be real.

Or is it? Because Amy's journalistic instincts are telling her something different, especially regarding Sasin's charismatic leader.

The Idol Demon series is a set of paranormal romance adventures about a group of friends who become involved with a new Korean idol band called Sasin. The underlying story is an absorbing, tangled mystery which will keep you guessing right till the end. Brace for action-packed novellas with no plot padding, just pure excitement and suspense packaged into heart-pounding tales you can read in a day.

In books one to five, each of the characters goes on an incredibly realistic virtual date with their favorite member of the group. They embark on extraordinary adventures where romance blossoms against the backdrop of their personal fantasy worlds.

As the series progresses, it soon becomes clear nothing is what it seems. By the end of each book, the characters have been drawn into intrigues which will lead them back to their hometown. They unearth dark truths about Sasin along the way, and find unexpected love which is both powerful and enduring. Some of it will be sweet, some of it will be scorching hot. None of it will be forgettable.

Want updates on the series? Follow Sazora on social media or join her newsletter via her website to be kept informed about book releases, discounts, giveaways and more.

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Map

In this series, Nevari Island is the fictitious place where most of the stories occur. It is a location within the world which wasn’t discovered until recently.

Chapter 1 - The Trap

Encouraged by a few quiet cheers, Amy kneeled down and crawled backwards through the ground level window. 

You can do this! an enthusiastic woman declared nearby.

Okay. Here I go! Amy pronounced, lowering herself down the interior wall. She clung on with shaky fingers, only to realize the concrete floor below was farther down than she had expected.

Next thing she knew, she was sprawled across the ground with a trickle of blood running down her face. 

As Amy wiped away the warm liquid, she felt a jolt of shock which briefly sobered her up. As she let out a deep gasp, she realized she was in the midst of breaking into a lavish hotel.

Despite how baffling as her actions may seem, this wasn’t the first odd thing the sassy brunette had done tonight. Agreeing to drink with total strangers had been the beginning of a series of impulsive decisions which were entirely out of character for her.

It seemed that falling and hitting her head had just knocked some sense into it.

Amy could hardly believe she was slumped on the concrete floor of a toilet cubicle in the sub-level of a multi-story building. Evidently, she had lost her grip as she lowered herself through the narrow window almost ten feet above and fallen to the ground. 

Delicately touching a finger to her temple, Amy began recalling how she had ended up in such a bizarre situation.

It had all started just a few hours ago at a huge concert she had attended with a group of her oldest friends. With Christmas fast approaching, it became a fantastic reason for them to get together after being apart for the past twelve months. Filled with giddy anticipation, they had watched an extraordinary performance by a new Korean idol band called Sasin, which was the hottest thing around.

Being a music journalist, Amy had seen hundreds of shows in her twenty-eight years on the planet and was thoroughly jaded about live performances. She already knew this band had an incredible stage presence and amazing sets, but she wasn’t expecting to be completely blown away by what she saw onstage tonight.

Sasin was a rare anomaly in the world of K-pop music, a genre known for its upbeat vibes and catchy songs. The group's aesthetic was shamelessly demonic, with theming to match this boldly unique premise.

Their live performances took place on a vast, high-tech stage which would seamlessly transform into a range of strangely beautiful stygian landscapes. Sasin blended perfectly into these hellish panoramas, performing complex choreography to the thumping beats of their hypnotizing tunes. 

The concept of their tour aligned with the group aesthetic, centering on the struggles of hellion overlords defending their realms.

For three hours, the action-packed concert relentlessly assaulted Amy’s senses until her whole body was numb. During the climactic finale, she witnessed what had to be one of the most realistic battle scene ever portrayed on a stage. Staring so hard her eyes dried out, she watched as Sasin’s members transformed into magnificent winged lords and fought hordes of demonic invaders.

Once Amy had seen the group performing live, she totally understood why people said the Annihilation tour was aptly named. She was absolutely wrecked by the end and felt like she had just dragged herself across the finish line of a grueling marathon.   

Strangely, she was feeling quite euphoric, a condition which she thought was because of some lingering adrenalin. This elation was part of the reason she ended up in a seedy bar with a couple of die-hard fans after the concert was over. 

It took little effort for the women to convince Amy to join them for a few drinks. Heading to a dingy tavern nearby, they began recalling the highlights of Sasin’s show over a series of vodka shots. Once they were nicely primed, they concocted the moronic plan which had led to Amy’s current predicament.

Somehow, they came up with the idiotic idea to sneak into the group’s hotel and attempt to track down the band.

Their ill-fated scheme was conceived after one of the women declared she knew a cleaner who worked in the place where Sasin was staying. Apparently, this person swore they saw the band’s members getting into black vans about two hours before the concert was due to start. 

This news immediately pricked Amy’s journalistic instincts and soon her companions were suggesting they should head over to the hotel. If they could track down the band, she might be able to interview them, a feat which few other reporters achieved.

Since the building wasn’t far away, the women quickly downed their drinks and staggered off into the night. When the trio arrived at the entrance to the luxurious suites, they crept around the side and found a small open window at ground level. Amy volunteered to climb down and see where it led as she thought it might be a stealthy way to sneak inside. If she could find the service elevators, then the others could crawl down too and join her as she scoured every single floor....

Emitting a low groan, Amy was forced to accept what a steaming pile of crap their scheme was.

Unfortunately, she was no longer in a position to back out now, as the window she had lowered herself through was well and truly out of reach. It had been put there for a reason, specifically to let fresh air into a small subterranean bathroom.

As the reality of her situation set in, the hapless journalist began shaking her head in grim resignation.

Amy’s troubles were only beginning though as she was about to experience a level of shame which she rarely achieved. She was only a couple of minutes away from being caught out like a clumsy cat burglar who’s realized they’re not cut out for a life of crime.

Slowly standing up, she avoided touching the grubby concrete floor with her blood-smeared hands. The room began to spin, forcing her to grab the toilet seat to avoid ending up back on the deck. 

Shit! Amy spat out as she bolted upright and raised her palms into the air. 

A hundred backsides had likely graced the seat’s well-worn surface since it last received the attention of a cleaner.

Making a collection of strangling sounds, she lurched out