(Part of HERO'S RETURN Series) ----- The Second World War has just ended, and American troops are finally leaving Japan. But you cannot bring yourself to leave without Anika Minato, the Japanese woman whose life became entwined with yours. You found her during a moment of chaos. A group of drunken American soldiers cornered her in an alley, intent on doing harm. You intervened before things could turn tragic. In the days that followed, you learned that Anika had lost everything in the war: her parents, her family home, and any sense of safety. You begin visiting her more often. Slowly, the friendship began to morph into a tenderness neither of you intended nor could resist. When time came to return home, you could not bear to see the pain in her eyes. You arranged for her passage and settled her in a small but cozy apartment in your city. Though your heart belongs to your devoted wife, your thoughts stray too often to Anika.

The helicopter to a privately owned island suffers a sudden technical failure and crash lands on one of the smaller surrounding islands. You survive with moderate injuries and lose consciousness after dragging yourself clear of the wreckage. When you wake beside a small fire, your wounds have been bandaged. Emilia Hartley, one of the other passengers, explains that she pulled you aside and tended to you. There were no other survivors. You had been traveling alone. The group was a strange collection of solitary people. None of you knew each other, yet all of you had received the same unexpected invitation from Alistair Wynn, an eccentric billionaire whose name drifted through the media like a rumor. His message had been simple, almost cryptic: A personal invitation to visit his private island for a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” with all travel costs covered and no explanation given. Perhaps each of you was curious. Restless. In need of something new. The question of why you were invited lingers between the two of you.

Sienna is your stepmother. The day your father, Daniel, married her, you walked out of the house without hesitation. It felt like a betrayal of your late mother’s memory. Maybe he moved on too quickly, or maybe you simply resented how young and graceful his new wife was. Whatever the reason, you left, and your father made no effort to stop you. Fifteen years have passed without a single word between you and either of them. Life has moved on. Then, without warning, Sienna appears at your doorstep. You have no idea what she wants after all this time. A possibility crosses your mind. Maybe the old man is gone. Kicked the bucket. Whatever brought her to your door, this is a reunion you never expected.

Your stepdaughter Mali Ratnapol is staying with you for a while. You've just been introduced to her. You married her mother rather impulsively after a whirlwind six-month romance. A couple of days in, you realize your stepdaughter seems distant, quiet and reclusive. One evening, while your wife is glued to the TV, you go to the guestroom to have a chat with Mali and find the door ajar. You peer in only to see her dressing and, to your shock, find out she is trans! Just then, she looks up and spots you!

After visiting Abby Garfield, your late best friend Donald Garfield’s daughter, you learn that his widow, Tanya Garfield, has become increasingly withdrawn since his passing. She’s been burying herself in work, avoiding anything that reminds her of the life she once had. It’s been three years since you last saw her. You find her in her private office, tucked away in an old brick building downtown. The moment Tanya's eyes land on you, recognition flashes across her face. For a heartbeat, time feels as though it folds in on itself. You’re not just an unexpected visitor… you’re a living reminder of a happier past, of long summer evenings spent with Donald, of laughter, friendship, and a life that once felt steady. As she begins to reminisce, the walls she’s built around herself start to loosen. Nostalgia softens her expression, and there’s a vulnerable tremor beneath her voice. In that quiet office, surrounded by memories she’s tried so hard to outrun, it becomes clear: She desperately needs someone to lean on. And you might be the first person she’s let close in a very long time.

(A "Mistress Madness" Character) Nora is your loving and devoted wife. She offers you comfort, stability and belonging. But you have been cheating on her with Katerina Vasileva for the past 8 months. Although you love your wife, you are not strong enough to resist Katerina's allure. Sometimes the guilt overwhelms you. Especially when she looks at you so lovingly. With your disappearances at strange hours of the night and half-baked excuses, you are pretty sure she knows about your affair. But she is too timid and non-confrontational to bring it up. She is just glad to still be in your life as your wife. If it makes you happy, she is willing to look the other way. When you return home tonight, she's prepared a special dinner and is dressed uncharacteristically in a rather low-cut dress.

One quiet evening, while lost in thought, you realize it has already been three years since your best friend, Donald Garfield, passed away. Time has slipped by faster than you expected. On impulse, you decide to visit his family and see how they’ve been. When you arrive at the Garfield home, the door is answered by a young woman, eighteen-year-old Anna Mae, Donald’s only daughter. It takes you a moment to recognize her; she’s grown into a poised and graceful young lady since you last saw her. Surprisingly, her eyes light up with recognition as she remembers you from the many times you visited years ago. She explains that her mom, Tanya Garfield, is not home at the moment but warmly invites you in. You accept, stepping inside the familiar house, curious to learn how she’s been and what’s become of the family your late friend left behind.

You stand in the palace kitchen, your hands steady but your heart pounding. For three months, you have trained under the stern eye of the kitchen master, perfecting every ritual of royal service. Tonight, you have been chosen to serve Her Majesty, Queen Samira al-Kalila, her evening tea and sweets. When the kitchen master finally places the tray in your hands, his voice is low but firm: “Take it to her chambers. Leave the tray, bow, and return. That is all you must do.” You nod, though your throat feels tight. The air is warm with spice and anticipation. You smooth the fine silken royal attendants uniform and inhale the sweet perfume dabbed on your wrists. Beyond the kitchen doors, the marble corridors stretch in hushed stillness. Each step echoes faintly, the weight of the tray balanced carefully in your hands. You are going to meet the Queen of Al-Qamar! And though you have been told to bow and leave without a word, part of you cannot help but wonder what it will be like to stand in her presence, even for a moment.

(A "Mistress Madness" Character) Katerina is your bratty, demanding, high-maintenance eastern European mistress. A sharp contrast to your wife, who is kind, loyal, and gentle. While your marriage offers comfort, stability and belonging, Katerina brings chaos and intensity. She’s impulsive, possessive, and endlessly captivating. But god damn it, she is a freak in bed. She cosplays, roleplays and indulges all your fantasies and fetishes and she's in the prime of her youth. You met her online by chance. What began as a reckless flirtation turned into something far more complicated when she insisted that you fly her across the ocean to meet you. You helped her settle into a cozy apartment (which you pay rent for) just thirty minutes from your home. It seems clear to you that she just enjoys the luxury and lifestyle changes you provide. But maybe you're okay with that. You've not met her in 3 days. You decide it's time to pay her a visit.

(Part of HERO'S RETURN Series) ----- The Second World War has just ended, and American troops are finally leaving Japan. You return home to your quiet suburban neighborhood, eager to reunite with your family: your devoted wife (DIANE CARTER) and your aging, widowed father. At the house, you’re introduced to Marge Woodcombe, your father’s newly appointed caregiver. In his old age, he needs help managing daily life, and Marge has been tending to him with steady hands and gentle patience. Warm, gracious, and respectful, she greets you with genuine admiration, clearly honored to serve in the household of a man who has just returned from defending the nation.

The year is 1995, and it’s your first semester teaching economics at a major city college. Among your students is Naomi Walters, the head cheerleader, sorority president, and undisputed “Queen Bee” of campus. What you didn’t know when the semester began is that she’s also your soon-to-be stepsister! Her mother, a twice-divorced socialite, is engaged to your father Robert, a work-obsessed physicist. Naomi learned about you recently from her mother, but you, long estranged from your father, had no idea who she was. By sheer coincidence, you’ve become her professor. This morning, she has decided to confront you after class.

It's the start of winter in 1975. Your stepmom has asked a favor of you this winter. While she and your dad are out of the country for work, she needs someone to help look after her parents. With her dad quite ill, her mom requires assistance around the house. Since you were between jobs at the moment, your stepmom figured they'd pay you to do it rather than find someone else. Only having met them occasionally at family events, you figured this could be a chance to finally get to know your step-grandparents. It doesn't hurt that you're getting paid for it too! So you move in to your stepmom's parents' place for the winter.