Chapter 201 Everything was happening too fast for me. The order of the world was changing, and I was the only one who could do something about it. And not to mention those who were now hunting us. Park, Zee, and his sister need to be guarded. They needed to be safe, and as for Park, I needed to find a way to heal him. I was outside the cabin trying to get some fresh air. We have been running for days now. I was not sure if it was the right thing to do but Elira said we need to for now. I was not a coward. I took down Nathan and made sure Edwin ended up in prison. It kind of feels odd trying to escape from everything now. “ You need to let her go,” a voice said from behind me. I turned, and I saw it was Park. “ I can't do that, and you know it. Zee means the world to me.” “ Oh really? Do I need to remind you that we are in a real war now? A world where we don't even know the weakness of our enemies. They went straight for her. She would have died if that strange shadow had not

Chapter 203 The boy’s trembling hand brushed dirt from his cheek, his black hair matted from sweat and fear. He was younger than I’d thought—maybe sixteen at most—but his eyes carried something that made him look decades older.“What’s your name?” I asked, still trying to shake off the sharp edge of anger in my voice.“Silas,” he muttered, glancing between me, Park, and Elira like he was deciding whether to bolt or trust us. “And I’ll help you. But you need to understand something… the people who took your friend? They’re not the same ones you’ve been fighting.”That made me pause. “Not the same? Then who—”I ran my hands through my hair. Who are these people, and what do they want?“They’re worse,” he cut in, swallowing hard. “They’re called the Hollow Guard. They’re hunters… but not like normal hunters. They don’t just track powers—they feed on them.”Elira’s head snapped toward him. “The Hollow Guard hasn’t been active in years. If they’re back—”“They are,” Silas said quickly, hi

Chapter 205As we stood before the Warden, who was the only thing standing between me and my girlfriend. I felt like I should charge forward, but then I knew it was going to be stupid of me, or probably be my death. The Warden stood with reassurance, and that scared the shit out of me. The Warden’s voice rolled through the corridor like distant thunder, low and vibrating in my bones. Every instinct screamed at me to move, but my legs felt rooted to the spot.Elira’s hand inched toward her blade. Park stepped forward, squaring his shoulders. The dim light from a flickering bulb above cast our shadows across the Warden’s frame, making him seem even larger.Silas’s breath hitched beside me. “That’s him,” he whispered, his voice tight with remembered terror.“ Looks like you came back with the company.” The Warden tilted his head slightly, as if examining a particularly interesting insect. “Three intruders… and a rat who knows the way in.” His gaze lingered on Silas, and I felt the bo

Chapter 207My eyes darted back and forth, and we were not sure of where to move. “ What do we do?” I shouted, looking at Silas, who seemed to be lost just the way I was. “ You fucking said that you know the way around here! That is what you told me.” I yelled at him. “ There is no time for all of this, Adrain. We either move or we all die here, and trust me, I don't want to die in this place.” Elira said with blood like sweat dripping down her jawline. “ Are you telling me to leave my sister behind? We came here because we wanted to find both of them, and now that you found her, you are just going to leave my sister and bounce?” Silas said with his mouth twitching. I could see the bitterness, the anger in his voice, but then, we had walked into the lion's den, and it was obvious that if we didn't leave now, we were soon going to become his food.“ We don't have the time for any of this, Silas. You see what we are up against. I can't take on the Warden alone, and neither can you.

Chapter 209The first hound hit me like a battering ram. Its weight drove me back, its claw tearing at my arm as its hot, rancid breath filled my nose. I jammed my dagger upward, the blade sinking into the soft spot under its jaw. Black vapor burst from the wound, and the creature convulsed before collapsing at my feet. I looked at the beast and kicked it so hard that it burst into bits. I didn’t have time to pull the blade free before another came at me. This one leapt, jaws snapping, and I threw myself sideways. Its teeth scraped my shoulder, hot blood spilling instantly.My healing was speedy now, the wound immediately healed up by itself. Beside me, Silas was a whirlwind—slashing, ducking, shoving his little sister behind him every time a hound got too close. But there were too many. Every time we cut one down, two more seemed to surge forward.The Warden hadn’t moved from the tunnel entrance. He just watched, arms crossed, like a man enjoying a show. His eyes glowed with a sic