All Chapters of Ethan Storm’s Dark Awakening : Chapter 271
- Chapter 280
295 chapters
271
Ethan walked through the old streets of Norwish City.Earlier, he had looked at the old map card he carried—a faded scrap with a red circle drawn around one spot.That red mark showed where his family house once stood.He lifted his eyes from the card now… and saw that the circled place was right in front of him.The air felt colder here. The sky seemed gray.Everything was quiet… too quiet.He reached the place where his family home once stood.But instead of peace, he saw noise. Dust. Shouting.A group of men in black jackets stood outside the old Storm family house.They carried iron bars and ropes. A big machine behind them was ready to crush the house.Ethan’s eyes widened.“No…” he whispered. “This can’t be happening.”He rushed forward.⸻Inside the broken gates, chaos filled the yard.A young girl—maybe seventeen or eighteen—stood in front of the house door.Her clothes were dirty, but her eyes were bright with anger.Near her, an old man in a wheelchair shook with fear, gripp
272
The thug grabbed the girl’s sleeve again, pulling hard, trying to drag her away from the door.“Come here! Stop fighting!” he shouted.“I said let go!” she yelled, kicking at him.Another thug stepped closer. “She’s slipping. Grab her harder!”The girl cried out, “No! This is Storm land! You can’t take it!”One thug spat on the ground. “Storm family? That name’s been dust for years. Woods family gave the order. This house belongs to us now.”“That’s a lie!” she screamed. “A lie!”The old man tried to reach her again. “Please… stop… please…”Another thug shoved his wheelchair back. “Stay down, old man. Storm family fell a long time ago.”“No!” the girl cried, tears streaming down her face. “We’re still here! We’re still here!”The thug gripping her arm pulled harder. “Enough! You’re coming with us!”“Let her go!” the old man yelled.The thugs ignored him.Then—a voice cut through the chaos.“STOP.”Everything froze.All five thugs turned toward the broken gate.Ethan stood there, breat
273
The girl finally found her voice again. She rushed forward, gripping the torn sleeve of her jacket as she bowed deeply.“Th-thank you,” she said, her voice shaking. “Thank you so much. I thought… I thought they were really going to take me.”The old man wheeled himself closer, hands trembling as he clasped them together. “Young man,” he said hoarsely, eyes wet, “I don’t know who you are, but you saved us. You saved my granddaughter. Thank you… thank you…”Ethan turned toward them, his expression softening instantly. The fire in his eyes dimmed, replaced by something calmer, almost embarrassed.“It’s nothing,” he replied quickly. “Really. Anyone would’ve done the same.”The girl shook her head fiercely. “No, they wouldn’t have. Everyone else just watches. Everyone’s scared of them.”Ethan frowned. “I couldn’t just stand there. They were hurting people who couldn’t fight back.” He glanced down at his hands, flexing his fingers. “That’s… not something I can ignore.”The old man reached o
274
Ethan’s eyes burned with fury as he looked down at the groaning thugs. The once-prestigious Storm family… one of the most powerful families in the entire country, feared and respected by everyone from politicians to crime lords… reduced to nothing. And these idiots—these insolent fools—they think they can just stomp on people, hiding behind someone else’s name. Even a family like the Woods, who aren’t nearly as strong as the Bellanos, dared to humiliate us.How far we’ve fallen…Disgust churned in his chest. Disgust at them. Disgust at the world. Disgust at how easy it had become for cowards to hurt others without consequence. That disgust quickly twisted into something darker, hotter. This made Ethan furious.The thugs scrambled to their feet, still limping and clutching themselves.“You’ll pay for this!” the biggest one spat, trembling but forcing bravado.“Yeah! The Woods family will make sure of it!” another screamed.Ethan flexed his fingers slowly, calm on the outside but s
275
Ethan looked at them like they were nothing.“You already lost,” he said.The leader’s eyes narrowed. “Watch your mouth.”Ethan met his stare. “Watch your hands. This land doesn’t belong to cowards.”The girl whispered, “Storm land…”The old man closed his eyes, tears slipping out.The wind passed through the yard.The men from the Woods family spread out slowly.The leader spoke again, his voice low.“Last chance,” he said. “Walk away.”Ethan cracked his neck once.“No,” he replied.The silence broke.Someone stepped forward.Boots scraped against gravel as the men closed in, forming a loose circle around Ethan. Their shadows stretched long under the dim lights, overlapping, cutting off every clear path out.One of them cracked his knuckles.“Looks like the hero’s surrounded.”Another chuckled.“Still standing tall, huh? That confidence won’t last long.”The leader didn’t rush. He watched Ethan carefully, eyes sharp.“You had your moment,” he said. “Now you’re going to learn how thin
276
The yard fell oddly quiet, laughter fading into curious silence. He waited one ring. Then another. It connected. “Yes,” Ethan said calmly. “It’s me.” The leader’s smile slowly faded. Ethan continued, voice even, almost casual. “I found them.” A pause. He glanced at the men around him. “Yes. Woods.” The air shifted. One thug frowned. “What’s he saying?” Ethan listened, then replied, “No. I didn’t touch them again.” Another pause. “…Because I decided not to.” His eyes lifted, sharp and steady. “They’re not worth it.” The men exchanged uneasy looks now. Ethan spoke one last sentence into the phone. “Handle it.” He ended the call and slid the phone back into his pocket. The leader stared at him, expression unreadable. “…Who did you call?” he asked quietly. Ethan looked at him. Then, for the first time that night, he smiled without amusement. “Someone who still remembers whose land this is.”The silence that followed Ethan’s words didn’t last long.It shattered
277
No one moved. No one breathed. The leader stood there, staring at nothing, lips parted, face ghostly pale. “Boss?” one man asked cautiously. “What… what is it?” The leader didn’t answer. “Hey,” another snapped, uneasy now. “Say something.” Ethan stood calmly, hands at his sides, eyes steady. He already knew. Finally, the leader swallowed hard. “…We,” he said hoarsely, “we’re finished. Ruined."The yard stayed frozen in silence.“…Finished?” one of the men finally said, his voice cracking. “Boss… what do you mean finished?”Another scoffed nervously, trying to laugh it off. “Yeah, don’t joke like that. Finished how?”The leader’s knees buckled slightly. He caught himself on a nearby fence post, shoulders shaking.“…It’s over,” he whispered. “All of it.”A murmur spread through the group.“Over what?”“Say it clearly!”“You’re freaking us out!”One man grabbed the leader’s arm. “Boss, pull it together. What did they say on the phone?!”The leader slowly lifted his head. His eye
278
The yard stayed frozen.No one dared speak at first.The men of the Woods family stood scattered now, no longer a circle—more like broken pieces. Some stared at the ground. Some stared at Ethan. None of them laughed anymore.One man swallowed hard.“…This… this can be undone, right?” he asked, voice thin. “Boss… say something.”The leader didn’t answer. He remained on his knees, shoulders slumped, staring at the gravel like it had swallowed his entire life.Another thug backed away slowly.“We didn’t know,” he muttered. “If we knew who he was—”“You still would’ve done it,” someone else snapped bitterly.Silence again.Ethan let it sit.He didn’t rush them. Didn’t threaten them. Didn’t even look angry.That somehow made it worse.One man finally broke.“…You destroyed us,” he whispered. “With one call.”Ethan looked at him calmly.“No,” he said. “You destroyed yourselves. I just helped you continuing the destruction.”The man flinched as if struck.Another Woods thug clenched his fist
279
Not loud. Not explosive. Contained. Every Woods man felt it at the same time. One of them took a step back without realizing it. Another followed. Boots scraped against gravel as they retreated instinctively. The leader looked up from the ground—and paled. “…No,” he whispered. Ethan took one step forward. They took two steps back. The yard felt tight. Like the air had nowhere to go. Ethan looked at the men from the Woods family. His voice was low. Simple. Clear. “You broke his legs,” he said. “So I will break yours.” For a moment, no one reacted. Then— “What?!” one man gasped. Another shook his head hard. “You’re crazy!” “You wouldn’t dare,” someone snapped. “You think you can just—” Ethan took a slow step forward. “Watch me,” he said. The men froze. Fear spread fast now. “You can’t do that!” one shouted. “We’re already finished!” Another backed away. “This is too far!” Ethan didn’t stop walking. “You didn’t think it was too far,” he said calml
280
The smiles vanished.The leader’s eyes widened.“No—wait—”Too late.Ethan took a step forward.This time—No one laughed.One man raised his hands instinctively.“Hey—hey! Back off!”Another whispered, panic creeping in.“Why do I feel like he’s serious…?”A third shook his head violently.“No. No, no, no—this isn’t happening.”Ethan stopped in front of the nearest man.He was taller.Broader.Confident.Moments ago.Now he was breathing fast.“You said I couldn’t,” Ethan said evenly.The man swallowed.“I—I didn’t mean—”“You said I wouldn’t dare.”“I was just talking!”Ethan leaned in slightly.“Good,” he said. “Then listen.”The man’s legs trembled.Behind him, another Woods thug shouted,“Don’t just stand there! Jump him!”No one moved.Not one.They remembered the call.They remembered the phone ringing.They remembered how everything they owned vanished in minutes.This wasn’t a man who needed permission.Ethan straightened and spoke loudly enough for all of them.“You’re right