The night air was thick with the harsh smell of smoke and burnt metal, the aftermath of the explosion hanging over everything like a poisonous fog. Flames clung to the twisted remains of the building, throwing wild shadows that danced across the overgrown fields. Shattered debris covered the ground, a graveyard of destruction beneath the cold, watchful eye of the moon. Eleanor knelt in the dirt, her knees sinking into the damp earth. She trembled; not only from the chill, but from the crushing horror that hollowed her soul. Her family, her bloodline, wiped out in an instant. She could still hear the screams in her mind, echoing from the fire.John stood calmly, untouched by the chaos. His white suit was somehow spotless, glowing in the fire’s orange light. The flames reflected in his eyes, burning like embers. Those unnatural, glowing red eyes revealed the truth: the ritual had worked. Power rushed through him, flooding his veins and sharpening his senses to knife edges. The souls of

Jake’s panic peaked. He scrambled backward, clawing at the dirt, his voice breaking into desperate screams. “No... stay back! Please, no!” Eleanor moved toward him slowly, her steps measured and predatory. Shadows twisted at her feet, the air around her growing colder with each step. Her glowing green eyes bore into him as her fingers curled like claws, ready to strike.But just as she prepared to pounce, Jake’s phone blared out a shrill ring, cutting through the moment like a knife.John raised a hand. “Wait.”Eleanor froze mid-step, her eyes flickering, the hunger in them restrained for now. Jake let out a shaky breath, relief flooding him for a brief moment, though his body still trembled violently.John’s gaze dropped to the phone. “Answer it.”Jake fumbled into his pocket with trembling hands, pulling out the device. He looked at the screen, then back at John. “It’s… it’s one of our men.” “Answer it,” John repeated, his tone sharp and commanding.Jake pressed the button and rais

The air in the office smelled of iron and bleach, heavy with the sharp, coppery stink of fresh blood. Azimuth’s wings moved slowly, deliberately, each sweep casting cooler shadows across the room until the light seemed to shrink away. The feathers were not soft; they were like blades, slicing the weak fluorescent glow into jagged black streaks on the carpet.“There is a way to bring her back to life,” he said, his voice low, shaking the windowpanes. “I can open a gate for you. But listen, John... stepping into the Overworld won’t be safe. That place tears you apart and rebuilds you. It remakes travelers. Some return sharper, cleaner. Others… broken. You will change.”John felt the words hit him like a fist. He tasted bile, remembered Hannah’s last breath, and clenched his jaw until his teeth ached. “What do you mean—change?” he asked. “My body? My mind?”Azimuth’s thin mouth curved into a patient smile. It offered no warmth. “Both, maybe. Or neither. It isn’t gentle. Soon enough, you’

The grand chamber swelled with noise, a storm of voices colliding as John’s words rippled through the vaulted air. Creatures of every shape and shadow leaned forward, their whispers binding together.Slender elves, their eyes glowing faintly like lanterns in the dark, spoke in lilting tones that carried across the din. “Such courage, to challenge the mighty Argon. Either he’s a hero pulled from legend, or a fool walking willingly into death.”The towering giants answered with booming laughter, their voices rolling through the hall like distant thunder. “Madness! The boy thinks he can face the fire-breather? The Badlands will chew him to bones before he even smells the dragon’s breath.”Above them, pixies darted on jeweled wings, their shrill squeals trailing sparks of color. “Incredible! No one’s dared the Badlands in years. At last, a spectacle worth watching!”But in the shadowed corners, cloaked figures shook their heads, their voices low and heavy as tombstones. “He’s already dead

The dungeon’s iron door groaned on its hinges, sending a harsh echo through the stone chamber as it swung open. Two golems stepped inside, their massive bodies blocking out the torchlight. Their hands, rough slabs of living rock, clamped down on John’s arms with crushing strength. It felt like being trapped in a vice, so struggling would be useless. Still, he resisted nothing. His face stayed calm, his steps steady, as they pulled him through the winding corridors.With every step upward, the air changed. The damp chill of the dungeon gave way to the warmer, incense-filled halls above. Servants and guards whispered in the shadows as he passed, their curious eyes fixed on him. Word had already spread: a trespasser from another world had defied the king’s decree, choosing exile to the Badlands instead of a swift execution. The tension in the air was sharp, humming against his skin.When they led him out through the palace’s grand gates, John was met by a sea of faces under the crimson s