The silence that followed after Liam snapped Jasper’s neck was deafening. The weight of Jasper’s lifeless body in his grip still felt surreal, as if his mind refused to register what had just happened. He had just taken a life and even when he wanted to blame it on the Ogini’s influence, he couldn’t. He was the one that held on to Jasper’s throat. Even now, his fingers, still wrapped around Jasper’s throat, trembled slightly before they finally loosened, letting the body slump lifelessly to the ground.Liam stared down at him, his breath uneven. A dull ringing filled his ears. His chest rose and fell in panicked, broken breaths. What had he done? He had killed before, but it was always in self defense, but now he had just taken someone’s life in cold blood. Was Evelyn right? Was he already losing control of himself and turning into something else?For a moment, he was numb. The world around him blurred at the edges, his mind struggling to process the reality before him. Jasper was dea

Liam strode through the hospital hallways in a hurry, his boots echoing against the cold floor with purpose and dread. The fluorescent lights above flickered slightly, casting shadows that seemed to shift with every step he took. His heart pounded as he made his way to Jack’s room, but it wasn’t just from urgency, it was also from the lingering weight of his last conversation with Jack. He was awake. He was alive. But the fear in his voice had been unmistakable.As soon as he reached the door to Jack’s room, he pushed it open without hesitation, scanning his eyes around, for any signs of danger.Jack was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, his face pale, his hands gripping the sheets like he was trying to hold onto reality itself. His breathing was ragged, uneven. And then, Liam saw his eyes, wide, unfocused, filled with something he rarely saw in Jack. It was clear that having had a brush with dead, Jack was reflecting on certain conditions and moments of his life.Upon seeing t

Liam’s fingers twitched at his sides, torn between his instincts and the weight of Jack’s words. The idea of having Jack by his side, healed and capable, was tempting. Since Jack got injured and then captured, he had to carry the burden and weight of their fight alone, never fully trusting that someone else could understand the fight the way he did. But Jack, he had had always been different. He understood things in a way few did.Liam exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening. Jack saw the hesitation flicker across Liam’s face and seized the moment. He reached out and grabbed Liam’s hand, gripping it tightly, his fingers pressing hard into Liam’s skin. His eyes, usually filled with mischief, were dark with frustration.“I know it’s dangerous, Liam,” Jack said, his voice low and urgent. “But so is fighting a legion of those monsters.” He paused, his chest rising and falling with each shallow breath. “You know you need me, Liam. You know I can take it.”Liam’s throat tightened. He wanted to s

Liam barely had a moment to think. Jack was filled with too much energy after being seemingly reborn. He didn’t want to waste any time. He was already too eager to test out his new powers and so strode ahead toward the car with a confidence that made Liam slightly concerned for him. He knew what new power felt like, and knew that right now, Jack was not considering the chances of him losing control or this power fighting to maintain a balance and adjust to his body.Although he had never tried something like this before, he had heard about the few times that people tried and how damaging the results turned out to be. For someone who was not born with the cultivation gift, the power could either blend with their body or destroy it, and the worst part was that there was really no way to tell. In a way, this was nature’s way of ensuring that the powers in the universe were balanced and maintained, which was why Peter’s creations were even more dangerous than they seemed. Liam lingered f

Liam’s vision darkened, fading off slowly against the dented hood of the car. Pain pulsed through every inch of him, his ribs aching from the force of the impact. He could barely move, and was barely breathing. The last thing he saw was Jack, on his knees, trembling violently, his body rejecting the energy coursing through him. Peter’s voice echoed in the distance, smug and victorious.“Time’s up, Liam.”And that was when everything changed. A sudden w surge of energy spread through his fingers. It started in his grip, where the Zuri blade was still clutched tightly in his hand, and then it spread—like fire igniting in his veins.The power of the blade roared to life, but Liam knew he wasn’t the one in control anymore. He had lost it to the Ogini. Right now, anything that happened was out of his control.A massive force erupted from Liam’s body, blasting outward like a shockwave. The elite soldier pinning him down was flung into the air, the impact of the force so great, his entire bo