Short stories

       An Old School Musician’s View on the Integration of AI in Music Creation by Berns Pen is a heartfelt, thought-provoking journey through the evolving landscape of music. Blending memoir, philosophy, and cultural critique, this book explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping creativity—and what artists must preserve to stay human. From smoky studios to algorithmic mashups, it invites readers to reflect on authenticity, imperfection, and the soul of sound in a synthetic age. Read the full story here: An Old School Musician's View on the Integration of AI in Music Creation The Soul of Sound in a Synthetic Age: An Old School Musician's Take on AI in Music  The music world is humming a new, digitized tune, and the conversation around Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn't just background noise—it's fast becoming the lead melody. Berns Pen's essential new book, "An Old School Musician’s View on the Integration of AI in Music Creation," is not just ano...

            In a town ruled by monstrous officials who feed on stolen hours, Juan leads a quiet uprising. Armed only with memory, shadow, and a fragile scroll stitched from reclaimed time, he and his neighbors resist the ritual that devours their lives. But as the Time-Eaters unleash silence, forgetting, and division, Juan must confront not just the system—but the illusion of powerlessness itself. Time-Eaters is a haunting allegory of ordinary heroism, systemic critique, and the quiet dignity of reclaiming what was lost. Time - Eaters Devouring Moments, Reclaiming Life: A Look at Berns Pen's "Time-Eaters"  Imagine a world where the very fabric of your existence—your time—is not your own. Berns Pen, known for his thoughtful explorations of human experience, delves into such a chilling reality in his haunting new allegory, "Time-Eaters." The Town Where Time is a Feast Pen masterfully crafts a dystopian landscape where monstrous officials, known as "...

  "Through the Quiet Wall" began as a meditation on silence—how it can protect, isolate, and eventually invite us to listen more deeply. But as the story unfolded, it became something more intimate: a quiet reckoning with the ways we inherit harm, and the courage it takes to unlearn it. Henry’s journey is not one of easy redemption. His past includes a moment of boundary-crossing that, while not sexual in nature, still carries weight. It is a moment shaped by emotional isolation and learned behavior—one he neither excuses nor repeats. This story does not seek to justify his actions, but to explore what it means to face them with honesty, to choose presence over hiding, and to rebuild trust without demanding it. Elena’s arc is equally vital. She is not a savior, nor a symbol of forgiveness. She is a full person—an artist, a survivor of her own silences—who chooses reflection over reaction, and who holds space for her own boundaries as she decides what love means on her terms....

       When a devastating flood shatters his village and takes his children, Clement Reyes uncovers a web of corruption tied to a powerful mining empire. As he fights for justice, his wife Isla—lost to memory—quietly begins to reclaim her past. Together, they plant truth in scorched soil, turning grief into resistance. The River Remembers is a haunting, hopeful story of environmental reckoning, quiet heroism, and the power of memory to heal what was nearly erased. Read the full story here: The River Remembers Where Grief Meets Resistance: Unearthing Truth in "The River Remembers"  A river gives life, but in Berns Pen’s latest work, "The River Remembers," it delivers devastation. This haunting, hopeful novel plunges us into a world shattered by tragedy, where the struggle for personal healing mirrors the fight for environmental justice. The Scorched Soil of Injustice The story begins with a catastrophic flood that doesn’t just destroy Clement Reyes' village; it...

       Trevor once froze when it mattered most. A car sank beneath the surface of a quiet canal, and he stood still — holding a bag of oranges, watching, haunted ever since. Years later, a subway fire forces him into motion. Smoke, panic, and a trapped child become the test he never expected — and the moment he finally moves. The Man Who Failed to Move is a quiet, introspective journey through fear, forgiveness, and the small, unheroic choices that shape redemption. Told in twenty poetic chapters, this story explores what it means to carry regret, to prepare for courage, and to find motion in the aftermath of silence. For anyone who's ever wished they had moved — and still can. Read the full story here: The Man Who Failed to Move The Burden of the Orange Bag: Finding Motion in the Aftermath of Silence  What happens when your greatest regret becomes the defining moment of your life? Berns Pen’s profound, introspective story, "The Man Who Failed to Move," explor...

            Percival Alonzo, a reclusive billionaire known for his ruthless business acumen, is admitted to a private hospital after a sudden cardiac episode. Used to commanding respect and silence, he finds the sterile luxury of his suite suffocating—until a bright-eyed girl named Celyn begins visiting. Celyn, the daughter of Aling Fely, a lunch vendor beloved by the hospital staff, is a curious and precocious child. She wanders the halls with ease, chatting with nurses, joking with doctors, and even offering unsolicited advice. Her presence is like sunlight in a place designed for quiet suffering. At first, Percival is irritated by her visits. But Celyn’s unfiltered honesty, her stories about her mother’s sacrifices, and her innocent questions begin to chip away at his cynicism. She asks things no one dares to: “Why are you always alone?” “Do you ever laugh?” “Is money your best friend?” Through Celyn, Percival begins to see the hospital not as a pla...

  The world tells you that your potential is fixed. Your circumstances—your job, your history, your genetics—feel like inescapable chains. This is the weight of Fate. The Destiny Blueprint is the essential guide to escaping the default script and designing a life of profound purpose. Drawing on 25 chapters of integrated wisdom, this book provides a complete, 6-phase framework for overcoming internal resistance and external barriers. Discover how to convert the chaos of chance into the structure of your calling by: Mastering the Growth Mindset and cultivating long-term Grit . Strategically navigating Systemic Barriers and maximizing your Social Capital . Using Experimentation to find your unique path to Flow State and intrinsic motivation. Destiny is not a secret revelation or a stroke of luck; it is a strategic construction built through intentional effort and unwavering choice. This is the map for the life you were meant to create . Read the full story here: The Destiny Bluep...

            Jimmy Capistrano is an ambulance driver in a city that never stops. His hands grip the wheel through storms, traffic, and endless nights, ferrying fragile lives between despair and hope. He is invisible—forgotten once the siren fades—yet his burden is vital, his role irreplaceable. Through moments of loss and survival, Jimmy discovers that heroism is not loud but quiet, not celebrated but enduring. Haunted by memories, guided by unseen forces, and sustained by fleeting gratitude, he becomes the ferryman of time—carrying souls through chaos while wrestling with his own exhaustion and doubt. From the child who smiled in the rearview, to the spectral boy who led him through shortcuts, to the teenager who saved his wife years later, Jimmy’s journey reveals a circle of lives bound together by resilience, sacrifice, and legacy. The Adrenalin in Red and Blue is a story of ordinary dignity, mythic echoes, and the unseen heroes who drive through the...

Sulit Meal: The AI Retribution is a high-stakes techno-thriller that tears open the systemic corruption and snail-slow justice of the Philippine political landscape. Driven by the loss of her mother due to hospital negligence, Kyla Santibanez, a fast-food worker, excels in programming and creates a powerful, unseen AI codenamed Sulit Meal. Kyla uses this AI to launch a series of devastating, targeted data leaks, exposing entrenched politicians and shattering their legal defenses. Her campaign of digital retribution successfully destabilizes the government, forcing a constitutional crisis and empowering citizens to demand transparency in the electoral process. But Kyla’s fictional journey comes to a dramatic end. In a thrilling meta-twist, the book itself becomes a dangerous reality when Faye Santelmo, a real-world programmer facing similar grief, finds the novel's blueprint eerily coinciding with her own plans. Faye adapts the fictional tactics to create a superior, predictive AI,...

     Sometimes We Messed Up is a guidebook for anyone learning to live, love, and lead after failure. Blending psychological insight, spiritual reflection, and practical exercises, Berns Pen offers a gentle roadmap through regret, forgiveness, and quiet heroism. Each chapter invites readers to rebuild trust, embrace imperfection, and begin again—with courage, compassion, and grace. This is not a book about perfection. It’s a book about becoming. Read the full story here: Somtimes We Messed Up  

"Sanctum" is a profound journey of faith and disillusionment, charting the soul-searching path of Paolo Santiago, a priest working in the heart of the powerful Curia. For years, Paolo believed he served God, but the polished marble halls and hushed conversations slowly reveal a stark truth: the institution he loves is rife with hypocrisy, cover-ups, and cold political maneuvering. As his faith in the Church fractures, Paolo grapples with a searing question: Is belief truly worth it, or can a loving person simply be good without divine command? Driven by a crisis of conscience, he makes the agonizing decision to abandon his priestly vows and the only life he's ever known, stepping into a terrifying secular world. Stripped of his clerical identity and societal status, Paolo must navigate the humbling reality of starting from scratch. But in the quiet struggle for an honest living and unexpected connections, he uncovers a profound, newfound wisdom: that true love requires no...

            Mang Protacio is the last true Herbolario of Sitio Kasuy, a man whose hands are stained with the earth and whose heart holds the secret to the Pito-Pito, a potent, centuries-old infusion of seven curative leaves. While his free, effective remedies are the only hope for his impoverished community, they pose a direct threat to the bottom line of the massive pharmaceutical corporation, Pharmacorps. When a gleaming, corporate-backed clinic opens across the street, pushing expensive synthetic drugs, Mang Protacio's lifetime dream of gaining recognition for nature's healing power is threatened by greed and politics. His fight to prove the Pito-Pito's worth leads him to a powerful alliance with a dying millionaire and a desperate, secret pact with a young, skeptical doctor. But when tragedy strikes, Mang Protacio's dream is violently crushed. It falls to his grandson, Ely, a newly minted Pharmacy graduate, to take up the mantle. Armed with both an...

            In a quiet corner of Central Park, a blind young woman named Gwen meets a gentle stranger who calls himself Jay. Over the course of one month and two days, their conversations unfold like prayers—exploring faith, love, art, and mortality. What Gwen doesn’t know is that Jay is John Lennon, seeking refuge from the weight of fame. What neither of them expects is how deeply their friendship will change them. Tender, luminous, and quietly profound, One Month and Two Days After is a story about presence, the power of listening, and how even the briefest encounters can echo across a lifetime. Read the full story here: One Month and Two Days After Across the Quiet Wall: When John Lennon Found Sanctuary in Central Park  In a quiet corner of Central Park, far from the flashing bulbs and the roaring crowds, a profound, unassuming sanctuary is built. Berns Pen’s "One Month and Two Days After" is a tender, luminous story about the power of listeni...

       What if the person you were meant to meet existed in another timeline — and your city bent reality just enough to let you find them? On Fernando’s Road, the morning light curves strangely. Lampposts flicker when no one touches them. And sometimes, if you walk slowly enough, you’ll feel the shimmer — the quiet pull of something waiting. Victor is a cartographer haunted by places that don’t exist. Romani is a Dreamweaver who remembers a stranger she’s never met. When they cross paths on a street that shouldn’t shimmer, they discover the Hourglass Station — a portal that allows three meetings, no more. As their connection deepens across fractured timelines, they must choose what to carry, what to forget, and what to leave behind. But the Station has rules. And time, even when bent, always runs out. Morning at Fernando’s Road is a bittersweet, time-bending love story about memory, longing, and the quiet heroism of showing up — even when the world forgets. Read the...