Jessica leaned closer to her father, her voice barely above a whisper. “Dad… what’s going on?” she asked, eyes darting between Kane Dravik and Phantom.Shadow shook his head slowly, keeping his gaze fixed on the two men. “I don’t know,” he said quietly, “but if your uncle decides to do something… he definitely has a plan.”Phantom exhaled a thin stream of smoke, his eyes glinting faintly through it. He tilted his head slightly, watching Kane with that same calm expression as the Black Fang boss sat there with his eyes shut, waiting for him to vanish.A faint smirk crossed Phantom’s lips. “You’re really closing your eyes in front of me?” he said dryly. “That’s brave… or stupid. I can’t tell which yet.”The words cut through the silence, and a few of the gang members shifted nervously. Kane’s fingers twitched slightly, his jaw tightening — but he didn’t open his eyes.Phantom took another puff of his cigar, his tone mocking but steady. “Careful, Kane. When some men close their eyes arou

Kane’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at Elijah. His thoughts raced. *How? That punch should’ve crushed his ribs… I used enough strength to drop a bull. Who is this guy?*He clenched his fists tighter, the veins on his arms standing out. Then he spoke through gritted teeth, voice sharp with anger.“I was joking with you before…” he said. “Now—go to hell.”**Bang!**He lunged forward and threw a massive blow, every muscle in his body behind it. The air itself seemed to tear with the force. But just as the strike reached, **Elijah caught it with one hand** — calm, steady, unmoved.The sound stopped. The hall froze.The gang leaders were speechless.**Rico Malden** of the Crimson Vultures muttered, “Impossible…”**Darius Korran** of the Iron Serpents blinked hard, whispering, “He stopped it… with one hand?”**Lira Vance** of the Ghost Crows stared wide-eyed. “That’s not human strength.”**Marco Dren** of the Steel Hounds whispered under his breath, “What… what kind of monster is that

Later that night, Shadow and Phantom sat in the living room of their room and discussed a whole lot for about half an hour.After that, Shadow leaned back in his chair, still trying to make sense of everything. “You should’ve told me earlier,” he said finally, breaking the silence. “That kid—Elijah. He’s not normal. I’ve never seen anyone fight like that. Who exactly is he, Phantom?”Phantom took a slow drag from his cigar before answering, his expression unreadable. “He’s a rare talent,” he said. “That’s all you need to know for now.”Shadow frowned. “A talent doesn’t kill a man with one punch or stop Kane Dravik’s blow like that. There’s more you’re not saying.”Phantom smirked slightly, leaning back. “You’re right,” he said. “There’s more. But not tonight.” He flicked the ash off his cigar and continued calmly, “Just know this — Elijah’s not someone you want as an enemy. He’s someone who changes the course of a room the moment he steps in.”Shadow sighed, rubbing his forehead. “He

Elijah walked down the quiet street, hands in his pockets, head lowered slightly. The city was already warming with movement. Cars passed slowly, people rushed to work, buses honked in the distance.He reached the main road and stepped closer to the curb.He lifted his hand and hailed a cab.A yellow taxi slowed down immediately and pulled up beside him.Elijah opened the back door and got inside calmly.“Where to?” the driver asked.“Halden Estate.”The driver blinked in the mirror, surprised at the destination.Elijah didn’t explain. He just looked out the window silently as the taxi pulled back into traffic and headed toward the Haldens.Meanwhile, at the Halden Estate, the entire place looked like a small armed camp.Edmund Halden did not take Elijah’s words lightly.From very early in the morning, the Haldens had made arrangements.Every gate was guarded.Men were posted on every corner of the compound.The north lawn had been cleared and turned into an open fighting ground.Extr

Aurora stepped forward abruptly, her sharp heels clicking against the stone — a sudden interruption to the guards’ greedy fantasizing.Her crimson eyes narrowed, analyzing Elijah with the precision of a seasoned strategist.“You three,” she commanded, her voice crisp and authoritative. “Don’t rush him one by one. That’s what the others did — and you saw how they ended up.”The guards stiffened, listening.Aurora pointed at the scarred one first.“You, take his left side. Target his weak spots — knees, ribs, the wrist he uses to strike.”Then she turned to the lean one.“You flank from the right — keep him pressured and off balance. Don’t let him dodge freely.”Finally, she met the youngest guard’s eyes.“And you — go straight for his head. Fast strikes. Don’t give him a second to counter. The moment he focuses on one of you, the other two must strike.”Her tone grew colder.“He’s fast — faster than you’ve seen. So end it before he has time to think.”The guards adjusted their grips, r