Clara shook her head, smiling warmly through her tears. "Don't ever apologize, Adrian. You saved my life. And besides... I never really felt like I was alone. I always felt your presence watching over me." She remembered her desperate fight against the King, when a sudden burst of superhuman strength had surged through her veins, it was Adrian's spirit giving her power.Adrian pulled her into another quick, protective hug, then turned back to pull Sophia against his chest, kissing her forehead softly. "The only thing that kept my soul fighting in the dark... was knowing I had to open my eyes and see your beautiful face again. You look incredible, honey."Sophia wiped her eyes, letting out a soft laugh. "Of course I do. I am your wife, after all. I'm just so happy you're home. We owe everything to Dr. Aldric for keeping you safe."Adrian turned toward Dr. Aldric, bowing his head in deep, genuine gratitude. "Thank you, doctor. You are the greatest healer in this world, and you gave up e

"It's simple," Adrian explained, his eyes glowing with fierce determination. "King is obsessed with absolute control. He murdered the seven Heirs because he couldn't stand the idea of anyone holding a throne that wasn't his. The moment an Heir steps up and sits on the throne of the Council, King will come running to execute them himself, just like he did to the others. We use the Council chamber as the trap. We sit on the throne, wait for him to show up... and then we take him down.""Then it's settled," Sophia declared. "Let's go."Clara turned around toward the silver-hooded warrior who had created the brilliant portal earlier, expecting him to raise his hands and tear open another glowing doorway straight to the Council headquarters.However, the hooded man lowered his head, breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall."I am sorry, Lady Clara," the warrior spoke, his voice raspy with fatigue. "Tearing through spatial dimensions drains immense amounts of my internal energy. Open

Ashley didn't flinch. She adjusted the tactical gloves on her hands, looking at Clara with a cold, smug mask of superiority. She didn't look like a caught traitor; she looked like an officer standing proudly on the right side of the law."I don't know what kind of delusional games you are playing, Clara," Ashley said, her voice amplified through her tactical radio headset. "You and your pathetic little faction are nothing more than domestic terrorists. You're Syndicate loyalists, and your little reign of terror ends tonight.""Terrorist?!" Clara blurted out, taking another angry step toward the barricade. "Ashley, stop lying! You know damn well Henry isn't a traitor! You know he's innocent!"Commander Vance snorted loudly, taking the megaphone away from his mouth for a second to spit on the wet asphalt."Don't waste your breath defending that scum, girl!" Vance yelled. "We checked the security gate logs! We checked the locker room footage! Henry was the insider mole for the Obsidian S

Clara stopped her glowing fist a quarter of an inch away from Ashley's nose. The strong wind pressure from the near-miss blew Ashley's hair wild, but the blow was held back. Clara wasn't going to turn this into a bloodbath. She wasn't a murderer.Instead, Clara swept Ashley’s legs out from under her, slamming her heavily onto the wet asphalt. With lightning speed, Clara pulled two high-grade steel tactical cuffs from Ashley's own belt, binding her hands securely behind her back and locking her firmly to the thick steel support cable of the bridge.While Clara dealt with Ashley, the rest of the fight had reached its swift, decisive end.Sophia and the Dragon warriors stepped past the ruined barricades. Charlotte stepped to the front, holding her hands high above her head as her eyes glowed with brilliant, ancient power."Terra Binding!" Charlotte commanded.A massive wave of ancient elemental magic surged through the concrete of the bridge. The very asphalt beneath the police force sof

"You think you can face me alone, child?" Valthera hissed, leaping down the stairs with astonishing speed, her silver blade whistling through the air in a lethal arc aimed straight at Clara's neck.Clara moved with blinding speed. She leaned her head back, letting the deadly blade graze the air an inch from her nose. Before Valthera could reset her stance, Clara drove a heavy, dragon-infused punch straight into Valthera's stomach.BOOM!"AAAGH!" Valthera gasped as the kinetic blow shattered her light armor, sending her flying backward through the air. She crashed heavily against the steps of her own throne, coughing up blood as her sword clattered onto the floor.Clara walked up the stairs slowly, her footsteps heavy and deliberate."This one..." Clara said, her voice dripping with years of stored-up pain as she reached down, grabbed Valthera by her collar, and hauled her up, "...is for Adrian!"Clara drove a hard right hook straight into Valthera's jaw, sending the older woman crashi