A sleek blue-black fighter jet had just landed on a small airstrip at a military base on the outskirts of Greystone Hollow. Thousands of soldiers, led by a tall, broad-shouldered man in a black coat, stood in perfect formation facing the jet.“Salute The Mourner!”Following the tall man’s command, the soldiers raised their arms in a synchronized military salute as a chiseled, athletic man stepped down from the fighter jet.He was Leonidas Vale, The Mourner, the strongest member of The Nocturn, a covert paramilitary organization whispered to be more lethal than the CIA, MI6, or even Mossad.“Dimitri, didn’t I tell you to cut the theatrics? I’m no longer part of The Nocturn. I came back to this town as a regular civilian,” said Leon.“Please don’t say that, sir,” said Dimitri, the towering man in the black coat. “Even if the our leader has accepted your resignation, to me, you’ll always be a Nocturn. You’re a living legend—one no man can ever replace.”Leon raised an eyebrow and sighed.

Evelyn staggered forward a few steps, coughing as she clutched her throat. When she turned around and lifted her face, she froze in shock. The same stunned expression spread across most of the ballroom.“You used this fucking hand or fours to choke my wife,” Leon said, his voice cold and cutting. “You won’t be using it ever again.”He shoved Jonathan aside like garbage. Jonathan collapsed to the floor, fell off the stage, and screamed in pain. His face turned red, tears streaming down.“My hand… oh God… my hand!”Leon glanced at him, not a flicker of sympathy in his eyes. This guy tried to steal his wife. He deserved worse.“You’re out of your damn mind!” Margot barked, storming toward Jonathan and glaring daggers at Leon. “Do you even realize what the hell you just did?!”She tried to calm the wailing Jonathan, fumbling with panic.“You… are… fucking… insane!” Gregory growled, struggling to stand, his face twisted in pain.“Roger, this guy is a damn criminal! Years in prison made him

On the outskirts of Greystone Hollow, far from the city’s noise…In a rundown one-story house, two women—twenty-three years apart in age—were sitting and chatting. The younger one, wearing a brown velvet coat, picked up a cup of coffee from the round table between them and took a sip.“You’re really leaving now, Rose? It’s not even late yet,” the older woman said, her eyes fixed on the road.“I don’t have a choice, Mom. One of my coworkers called in sick last minute, and they asked me to cover for her,” Rose replied, setting her cup down. “It’ll count as overtime. Good money. We could use it.”Mary, the woman Rose called 'Mom', immediately looked sad. Still staring at the road, she said, “I’m so sorry, Rose. If I weren’t blind, you wouldn’t have to work this hard.”“Don’t say that, Mom.” Rose looked her in the eye, firm. “None of this is your fault. It’s the Harringtons'. They’re the ones who ruined our lives.”“But if I hadn’t gone blind—”“Mom, please stop blaming yourself. Please.”

Leon stared at Rose in disbelief. She had just helped him, and now she was hurting Evelyn and throwing him out? Had his sister lost her mind?Rose moved out to the terrace, where Mary lay unconscious. Leon wanted to stop her, but first, he had to tend to Evelyn's injury.“Let me see your hand,” he said, gently taking Evelyn’s wrist.“It really hurts…” Evelyn winced, her voice trembling.Leon examined the slash wound closely, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle filled with a clear liquid.“Eve, bite my arm. This might hurt—a lot.”She looked at him, hesitant, but followed his instructions.Leon uncapped the bottle and poured a few drops of the clear liquid onto her wound.Evelyn shut her eyes and bit down hard on Leon’s arm. He didn’t flinch. His focus stayed on the wound.Within seconds, the gash dried up. And more astonishingly, it closed on its own.“How’s it feel now? Still hurt?” Leon asked, glancing at her.Evelyn opened her eyes, dazed. She let go of Leon’

Leon ended the call without another word and handed the phone back to Evelyn.“Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone separate us,” he said firmly.“But… they threatened to erase me from the family tree…”“That bothers you, Eve?”“I don’t know. I mean… I know how awful they’ve been to you, to your mom, to your sister. But… they’re still my family. I… I’m confused…”Leon furrowed his brows, trying to understand Evelyn’s struggle.Truth be told, he’d be glad to cut ties with the Harringtons altogether. After all, his current wealth and power—earned through blood and sweat in The Nocturn these past few years—far surpassed anything they had. But if Evelyn didn’t want to sever that connection, he wouldn’t force her.“Don’t think too much about it, alright? I’ll make sure they don’t strike your name from the Harringtons’ family tree,” Leon said, lifting Evelyn’s chin gently and flashing her a warm smile.It took her a few seconds, but she finally smiled back. In her eyes, Leon saw sadness, confusi