Ethan pushed open the door to the mansion, his jacket a little dusty and his hair slightly messy. He walked in slowly, rubbing his hands together.Elsa looked up from the sofa, her eyes narrowing. “Ethan… you’re late. And… what happened to you? You’re all dirty.”Ethan gave a small, calm smile. “I had a little… run-in tonight.”Elsa stood, brushing dust off her dress, her worry showing. “A run-in? Ethan, did they hurt you? Who was it?”Ethan chuckled softly, shrugging. “Relax. I took care of them. Hammer? Defeated weeks ago. And you know… I’m the Master of Bill. Nothing they can do will stop me.”Elsa crossed her arms, shaking her head but smiling. “You always laugh like that, but I can’t help worrying. Even if you are strong, there are limits.”He leaned back against the doorframe, calm as ever. “Limits? Maybe. But tonight, I taught a lesson.”Her eyes sharpened. “Who? Tell me everything.”Ethan walked into the living room, dropping onto a chair. “It was Parker. He sent a few men to

The three men stumbled into the alley like rag dolls, clothes torn, lips split, blood drying along their temples. They hunched against the damp brick, trying to catch their breath. One of them—Red Cap—pressed a shaking hand to his cheek, eyes wide and unblinking.“He—he moved wrong,” Red Cap whispered, voice raw. “Not like any man I’ve seen. He—he wasn’t human.”Hoodie Guy let out a laugh that was mostly a sob. “Don’t… don’t say that. Don’t say that out loud. He moved—like thunder. One minute we were on top, the next—my ribs felt like they were glass.”The third, a younger kid whose bravado had drained away, kept rubbing at the back of his head. “He grabbed me and I—I thought my skull was gonna pop. He didn’t even look at us like we were people. He looked at us like we were… insects.”Red Cap swallowed. “I’ve been in fights. I’ve seen guys take blows and shrug. But—this? This is different. He just stood there. Like he knew exactly where to put his hands. There’s no way a human—”Hoodi

Parker’s fists were still clenched. He paced across the rooftop, Bella following nervously. “This… this doesn’t make sense. How the hell does one man—just one—take out three of my best guys like they were nothing?”Bella bit her lip. “Maybe… maybe he’s stronger than you think, Parker.”“Stronger?” Parker spat the word like it was poison. “No one is stronger than me! No one!”Meanwhile, across the city, the warehouse by the river was quiet. Bill huddled in the corner, hugging his knees, staring at the dark water outside the broken windows. His hands shook, but he had kept his promise to Ethan—he had come alone, as instructed.A faint sound made him freeze. Footsteps. Heavy. Slow. Then a shadow appeared at the far end of the warehouse.“Bill,” a voice called softly. Calm. Strong. Certain.Bill looked up fast. “Master!”Ethan stepped out of the shadows, coat damp from the rain, his face unreadable. “You’re here. Good. Are you hurt?”Bill shook his head. “No… no, not me. But Lena—she’s go

The docks were quiet, the kind of quiet that pressed against your ears. Water slapped against the rusted hulls of moored ships, and the occasional creak of a swaying crane broke the silence.Ethan moved low, a shadow among shadows, scanning every corner, every pile of crates. His eyes caught the van first—a gray, dented thing with its rear door half-hidden under a worn tarp. Leaning against it was a man he assumed was Cray, one hand shoved in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette. Two more men lounged lazily in a parked sedan nearby.Cray’s voice cut through the night. “You think he’s coming alone?” one of the men muttered.“Kid’s not smart enough to bring friends,” Cray replied, exhaling smoke. “Boss says the girl’s coming along. Good move keeping quiet—makes it easy for me.”Ethan crouched behind a stack of shipping crates, eyes locked on him.A train screamed past in the distance, metal grinding against metal. Enough noise. Ethan moved. Fast, silent, sliding through the darkne

Ethan reacted fast. He grabbed Bill, shoved him aside, and knocked the gun out of the man’s hand with a sharp twist of his wrist.“Stay down!” Ethan hissed.Bill stumbled but caught himself. Lena’s ropes were fully loosened now. She clung to Ethan, trembling.“Go! Now!” Ethan snapped.They bolted for the metal stairs. The toothless man swore behind them. More footsteps — others were coming.Down the stairs, one step at a time. Heavy, clanging metal. Lena pressed against Ethan. Then he shoved her toward Bill.“Run!” Ethan yelled.Bill grabbed her, lifting her carefully. They splashed into the mud outside. Ethan circled back, low and fast, cutting off anyone trying to follow.The city was alive with the sound of shouts and running feet. Bill and Lena slipped into the tall grass by the riverbank. Mud soaked through their clothes.Lena’s hands clung to Bill’s neck. She was shaking, crying quietly.Bill held her close. “You’re safe now… you’re safe,” he whispered, rocking slightly.They s