The next morning came with a breeze that carried the scent of blooming magnolias. The city could finally breathe easily. There were no gunshots, no marching boots. Just the hum of life returning. At the Stevens estate, the air was still, except for the soft rustling of linen curtains and the quiet cooing of a newborn in his crib.Mia stirred awake first, and her arms instinctively reached out to Zion’s crib, only to find it already empty. She panicked and sat up, searching around but just then the bedroom door creaked open. Liam stepped in barefoot, wearing a plain shirt and sweatpants with Zion tucked gently in his arms. “Hey,” he whispered. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”Mia’s face softened and she exhaled in relief. “You didn’t. I just… instinct.”He walked over, and sat beside her on the bed. “He woke up before dawn. Just stared at the ceiling like he was thinking about saving the world.”Mia giggled as she took Zion into her arms. “He’s one day old, Liam.”“Still smarter than me,” Li

It’s been twenty one years since Liam and Mia took over the city. Twenty one years of peace and bliss, but peace was fleeting and Liam knew this. To protect his son, he did the one thing he never thought he would. The very thing that defined him and the man he grew up to become. Deep down he knew the consequences, but he still hoped that things would be different with Zion. It wasn’t easy to convince Mia, but when their son Zion turned seven, Liam knew it would only be a matter of time before some danger threatened him. They’d agreed to raise him far from the chaos and fractures of this city. To give him a life where he wouldn’t have to constantly look over his shoulders because he was a Maron.And so Zion was shipped away to Germany, hidden from the public eye and the scrutiny that followed. For years everything seemed smooth, and for a moment Liam felt he’d almost managed to give his son the life and peace he never had. But everything changed with one phone call. And now Zion was c

Aria trudged through the muddy paths of the alleyway, her coat pulled tight against the wind. It had started drizzling just then, but despite being soaked by the rain, her resolve was stronger. She needed to find out her truth.The address scribbled on the scrap of paper in her pocket felt heavy with questions. She had received it a mysterious text from a strange number some days ago with this address. “Go there. You’ll find the truth.” That was all the text said, no explanations. At first she hesitated, thinking this may have been some sort of prank. But as the days went by, she couldn’t ignore her gut feeling anymore and so decided to check out the location:.And now, she was standing before an old abandoned house on the edge of the city, not so sure she was ready for the answers or if there were any.The house looked like it had been empty for years. Its paint peeled like shedding skin, the windows cracked and clouded. Yet something about it felt… familiar. Like a faded memory she

Since Lucian’s powerful public statement about Liam and Zion, it seemed the city had gone quiet for a while, but only a few days later, a new plan was stirring beneath the night sky. Inside the Marlowe Grand Hall, the real movement came from the laughter of powerful men and women sipping fine wine and trading secrets in polished voices. This was not just another meeting of the city’s top elites. It was a stage and strategic plan to pull supporters to his side, from none other than Lucian.Zion adjusted his cufflinks that night as he moved through the crowd, offering nods and faint smiles. He’d gotten a direct invite from Lucian himself and although he wasn’t sure if this was the best place for him to be right now, he knew he had to face the man one on one and try to find out what he was up to. As he moved through the grand hall, he realized how hollow the event was. To him, it was just another night, another gala filled with hollow compliments and careful alliances.After searching th

When Aria woke up that morning, the first thought in her head were Peter’s words. She heaved a deep sigh and sat on the edge of the bed, trying to figure out a way to distract her mind, but those words were like a song she couldn’t turn off.Her meeting with Zion had left her with more questions than answers. She had found out that he wasn’t hiding secrets. He just didn’t know them. It was quite frustrating. She had hoped he would fill in the blanks, reveal the truth about the Morans, about her father’s past, but instead, she found a young man caught in his own storm and partly unaware of the chaos and history of this city.At that point, she started to think that maybe the answers weren’t with Zion. Maybe they were still with Peter, and the people who once walked beside him.She heaved a deep sigh, brushed a loose strand of hair from her forehead and stood up. She walked to the bathroom for a quick bath and came out with a new idea. She had remembered the name of one of Peter’s old a