Asher had earlier arrived at the gates of Eden, and he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. People—frail, sick, weak—huddled together in desperation. Some held loved ones in their arms, their bodies gaunt and failing. He had witnessed the savage beating inflicted on a man moments ago and, in that moment, he didn’t blame Morgana for acting on impulse without waiting for his command. He knew Morgana well enough; scenes like this triggered her fiercely protective side. So he didn’t stop her. Now, as he stood there, watching the store manager who had ordered such cruelty, Asher suppressed the lingering pain throbbing in his head. The poison still coursed through his body, but he forced himself to act as though it didn’t exist. The bandage wrapped around his head was a constant reminder; the physician had suggested it for protection, though Asher had insisted it wasn’t necessary. Asher stood firm despite the weakness creeping into his limbs. He hoped the store manager would not test his li

A silence hung in the air, thick and expectant. The woman still knelt before Leo, her head bowed low. Her words had been earnest — trembling with desperation, weighted with the cries of children, the ache of families suffering in silence. But Leo only stared. His eyes—those cold, unreadable orbs—rested on her like a shadow. Then, slowly, he turned his gaze toward the gathering. Every sick person, every villager with hollow cheeks and weary eyes, watched him with a strange mixture of fear and hope. They all shared, unspoken conclusion: He’s the son of the Minister of Health. He should care. It was a fragile thread of logic to cling to, but when you were dying, any thread would do. The woman’s voice wavered. “Sir, I know… I know Eden may feel we’ve wronged then. But we didn’t mean to. We didn’t mean to anger Eden, please—” Her hands clutched at her chest as she glanced at Alaric. Alaric scoffed openly, twisting his mouth with exaggerated disgust before turning his head away like her pre

What happened next shattered the silence and reality like glass. A sharp, guttural scream tore from Leo’s throat. His voice cracked with agony, echoing across Eden like a siren. All eyes turned toward him. His hand, his left hand was gone. Or rather, most of it. The wrist had been sliced clean through, leaving only a bloodied stump. The severed part of his hand lay on the ground in front of him, fingers still curled as if frozen mid-motion. Everyone froze in shock. Alaric’s eyes darted to the one man responsible, the man he had dismissed, underestimated, mocked. Asher. But Asher didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink. He stood there, calm and composed, as if nothing had happened. As if Leo wasn’t clutching what was left of his arm and screaming. The crowd began to step back, gasping, tripping over one another as they tried to understand what they had just witnessed. It had happened so fast. Too fast. Alaric reacted instinctively. “Protect the Minister of Health’s son!” he roared. In an i

When they all turned around, they saw her. Juliet Archer. The moment her gaze landed on Asher, something twisted inside her. She didn’t expect to see him here. After the humiliation with Alesha at the ceremony, she had dreaded meeting Asher again. Unless she was powerful enough to get her revenge. But Asher didn’t react. Didn’t flinch. Just stood there, unreadable. But Juliet’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes dropped for a moment—just enough to compose herself—then shifted to the store manager kneeling in front of him. Something wasn’t right. She moved forward quickly, and as she reached them, the scene unfolded before her. Leo’s mangled form on the ground. Blood. Bodies. The sharp, metallic scent of violence still hangs in the air. She recognized Leo immediately as the son of the minister of health’s son. But what was he doing in this state?! She didn’t know what to say. Couldn’t even guess what had happened. But when her eyes found Asher again, that same silence between them r

Then Juliet’s voice rang out, sharp and furious. “Come on, somebody! Go get fire and gasoline. Burn this store now!” Her command didn’t just echo. It detonated. Rage brewed through her like a violent storm, and everyone standing there could feel it ripple through the air. Meanwhile, Asher still stood there, unfazed. The fate of the entire crowd, the store, and everyone who depended on those herbs. It all in Juliet’s hands. And she was going to prove it to him. She didn’t care about the wails that broke out. The people who depended on the store began to cry. They wailed as if mourning their own doom. Their cries filled the space like a haunting chorus, but Asher didn’t flinch. Not even once. Morgana noticed. Her stance shifted subtly at first, but then her jaw locked tight. Her hands clenched as fury stirred in her chest. How dare Juliet? How dare she go ahead with her threats without hesitation? Morgana muttered under her breath, barely able to keep herself from charging forward. Mean