The iron gates of Blackwater Penitentiary creaked open with a sound that echoed through the morning mist. Marcus Kane stepped into the pale sunlight, his muscular frame casting a long shadow on the cracked asphalt. Three years of deliberate imprisonment had sculpted him into something beyond human—a weapon forged in silence and discipline.His calloused fingers traced the peculiar jade ring on his right hand, a final gift from Elder Chen. The old man's weathered face flashed in his memory, along with cryptic words spoken in their shared cell."Remember, boy," Elder Chen had whispered on his deathbed, "Shadow Island awaits you in July. When the cosmic convergence aligns, your true divine power will awaken. The Phoenix Order has been watching you."Three years of ancient martial arts training, celestial medicine techniques, and meditation, Marcus thought, flexing his hands. I could have broken out anytime, but the knowledge was worth every day in that cage.The bus ride home felt eterna

Marcus turned back to his mother, who sat trembling in her wheelchair, her blind eyes wide with concern. The scattered money from Brutus's bag lay across the floor like fallen leaves."Marcus, you shouldn't have gotten involved," Isabella whispered, her voice shaking. "Those men will come back with more people. They always do.""Mother, please collect the money," Marcus said gently, kneeling to help gather the crumpled bills. "From now on, you won't have to worry about thugs or debt collectors.""How can you be so confident? We have nothing left, son."Marcus placed his hands over Isabella's clouded eyes, feeling the divine energy Elder Chen had taught him to channel. "I promise you, Mother, I will restore your sight. The celestial medicine techniques I learned in prison can heal what mortal doctors cannot."Isabella's breath caught. "Marcus, that's impossible. The doctors said—""The doctors are fools who understand nothing of divine healing," Marcus interrupted. "Trust me, Mother. I

As Marcus stepped away from the Chen mansion, a black limousine pulled up to the circular driveway. The door opened, and out stepped Victor Blackwood—tall, arrogant, dressed in a custom Italian tuxedo that cost more than most people's cars. His face bore the faint scars of their previous encounter, but his expression radiated smug superiority."Well, well, well," Victor drawled, adjusting his diamond cufflinks. "If it isn't Marcus Kane, fresh out of his concrete cage. Tell me, convict, how does it feel to breathe free air again?"Marcus turned slowly, his divine presence causing the air around them to thicken with tension. "Victor Blackwood. Still walking around, I see.""Walking around?" Victor laughed mockingly. "I'm thriving, you pathetic loser. While you were getting passed around like a party favor in prison, I was building an empire. Today, I'm marrying the most beautiful woman in the city—your ex-girlfriend.""How poetic," Marcus replied with deadly calm."You know what the bes

Valentina whirled around to face Marcus, her eyes blazing with fury and desperation. "Get out! Get out right now before you make everything worse!""Valentina, please—" Alessandro wheezed weakly from the bed."No, Papa!" she snapped. "This amateur has done enough damage. Dr. Martinez is a real physician with decades of experience, not some street performer pretending to know medicine."Marcus looked at her with divine composure, his supernatural foresight already revealing what would unfold in the next few minutes. "As you wish. But remember this moment, Valentina Romano.""What's that supposed to mean, you arrogant fraud?" she snarled."You'll understand soon enough," Marcus replied calmly, walking toward the suite's exit with the confidence of an immortal deity who knew the future.She will beg me to return within ten minutes, he thought, his godly patience infinite. Mortals always learn their lessons the hard way.Dr. Martinez inserted the first silver needle into Alessandro's ches

Alessandro straightened his expensive suit and looked at Marcus with the reverence of a mortal addressing a deity. "Master Kane, please know that every resource of the Romano Empire is at your complete disposal. Whatever you need, consider it already yours.""I appreciate your commitment," Marcus replied with godly composure. "Finding those artifacts will require dedication and considerable expense."Valentina, still trying to process everything she'd witnessed, voiced her confusion. "I understand why you need the rare herbs for medical treatment, but why do you need a calligraphy brush and a rosary bead? What do writing tools and prayer beads have to do with healing my father or curing your mother's blindness?"Marcus studied her with divine patience, understanding that mortal minds struggled to comprehend celestial concepts. "Those items must be filled with spiritual energy to be useful in divine healing arts. Without spiritual power, they're just ordinary objects.""Spiritual energ