Chapter 62The silence in the moonlit garden was suffocating.Lord Parker’s eyes were fixed on Adrian sharp, probing, no longer dismissive. The contempt that had once clouded his gaze had been replaced with something far more dangerous: curiosity.“I heard you speak of another life,” Lord Parker said again, stepping closer. “And enemies… returning. I want answers.”Seraphina stood instinctively in front of Adrian. “It’s not what you think, Father.”He folded his arms. “No? Then tell me. How does a man who barely passed a clerical entrance exam dodge death like a seasoned war mage? How does my daughter suddenly awaken magical talent strong enough to disarm professional killers?”Adrian exhaled slowly. “Let us explain truthfully, but carefully.”Truths With EdgesBack in the study, Lord Parker sat across from them, his face unreadable as Seraphina and Adrian spoke. They didn’t reveal everything no cosmic wars, no reincarnation, no dragons in disguise but they shared enough.Seraphina sp

Chapter 64In the weeks following the Shadow Network’s defeat and the beacon’s pulse across the world, Adrian and Seraphina knew their quiet life was officially over.It didn’t take long for the next storm to arrive wearing perfume, wrapped in silk, and accompanied by a ledger thick with ruin.Her name was Betty Blackwood, and she was the richest person in the region.An Unwelcome VisitThe first encounter came during an elegant dinner Lord Parker arranged to celebrate the estate's reconstruction. The air was crisp with celebration, but tension crept in with every whisper of Betty’s arrival.She stepped into the Parker estate like she owned it draped in midnight velvet embroidered with glowing sigils, her every movement calculated and graceful. Her eyes, sharp as obsidian, immediately locked on Adrian with an intensity that made Seraphina’s hand twitch.“Adrian Wolfe,” Betty said, extending a gloved hand. “I’ve heard much about your… luck.”Adrian froze. That voice.The tone was diffe

Chapter 66The moon hung low over the Parker estate, casting silver light across the manicured lawns and quiet courtyards. Most of the guests had gone home after the explosive duel, but tension still lingered like static in the air. Adrian stood alone near the marble fountain, staring into the rippling water, lost in thought.He didn't hear Betty approach until she spoke.“You still wear the same expression when you're trying not to break.”Adrian turned.Betty no, Lyrixa stood in the moonlight, her gown torn slightly from the duel, her eyes reflecting a swirl of emotions: longing, confusion, pain.“I remember everything now,” she said softly. “The Hollow Sky. The bridge of stars. The day I almost died for you.”Adrian's throat tightened. “I know.”“I loved you,” she whispered. “And you loved me. Don’t deny it.”He didn’t. He couldn’t.But silence stretched between them like a chasm.The Past, Reawakened“I’m not asking you to choose me,” Betty said, stepping closer. “I know this time

Chapter 68The city of Valebright, once a bastion of magical elegance and aristocratic order, was beginning to fracture at its edges.It started subtly rumors of strange behavior from prominent merchants, city guards experiencing sudden blackouts during patrols, and magical wards flickering for no apparent reason. But Betty knew better. These were symptoms.They were here.The corrupted were arriving.The Beacon’s CallEver since Betty's purification attempt had failed, disrupted by the Ancient Hunger’s pulse, Adrian could feel them. Not just spiritually, but physically. An oppressive weight had settled over the city. Every street corner felt like it was being watched. Every gathering carried tension just beneath the surface.Adrian stood atop the bell tower ruins, his gaze sweeping across the skyline as his war beast still disguised as a fat orange tabby curled around his feet.“They're converging,” the beast said telepathically. “Fragments drawn to the beacon... and to you.”“Of cou

Chapter 70The silence in the temple was suffocating.Seraphina hung suspended in the pulsing web of corrupted magic, her light flickering, her soul stretching thin. Adrian stood just outside the barrier, fists trembling, heart pounding, brain racing.Aurelius his former mentor, friend, protector watched him with eyes both knowing and hollow.And Betty stood between them, expression unreadable, her presence throwing yet another axis into the impossible equation.“You always had a choice,” Aurelius said. “And every time, you picked yourself. Even when you thought you were saving others… you were still clinging to what you wanted.”Adrian’s jaw tightened. “And what is this, then? Forcing a man to surrender or lose the woman he loves is that your idea of redemption?”“No,” Aurelius replied. “It’s my idea of proof.The Gambit RevealedAurelius stepped forward. “Do you think I let myself fall into corruption by accident? I let it in, Adrian. I invited the Ancient Hunger to twist me.”Adria