The warehouse lights blazed to life with blinding intensity. Jacob shielded his eyes reflexively as the empty factory floor transformed into a killing zone filled with armed men emerging from concealment.Not twenty-five. Not thirty. Fifty soldiers, all in tactical gear, all with weapons trained on Jacob's position. They had walked directly into Marcus Nico's carefully prepared ambush."Welcome, Jacob Krigg!" Marcus's voice boomed through speakers mounted throughout the factory. "Did you really think I would make this easy? That I would leave openings in my defenses for you to exploit?"Jacob's mind raced through tactical options. Carl's team was pinned down at the north entrance by heavy fire. Roseline's position had been compromised—he could hear explosions as Marcus's forces targeted her rooftop. And he was standing in the open with Anna beside him, surrounded by fifty trained killers."Everyone down!" Jacob shouted into his radio. "Defensive positions! Do not engage unless you hav

"Jacob!" Anna's scream cut through the ringing in Jacob's ears as consciousness flickered back.He opened his eyes to find Anna kneeling beside him, her hands pressed against his bleeding shoulder trying to stem the flow. Emily's chair had been knocked over during the fight, and the girl was crying but appeared physically unharmed."Stay awake," Anna commanded, her voice shaking. "You are not allowed to die after everything we just went through. Do you hear me?"Jacob tried to speak but only managed a weak cough. His vision swam as he looked past Anna to where The Butcher lay motionless. The armored giant's chest still rose and fell shallowly—alive but defeated."Carl!" Anna shouted toward the doorway. "We need medical assistance now!"Footsteps thundered as Carl's team rushed back into the room. One soldier immediately began working on Jacob's wounds while two others moved to free Emily from her restraints."Uncle Jacob saved me," Emily sobbed as they cut through the ropes. Despite b

Jacob was released from the hospital two days later with strict instructions to rest and avoid strenuous activity. His supernatural healing had accelerated his recovery enough that doctors felt comfortable discharging him, though they remained puzzled by his rapid progress.Carl drove him to a temporary safe house Leo had arranged—a small apartment in a secure building with twenty-four-hour surveillance. As they pulled up, Jacob noticed the smoke still visible on the horizon from where his house had burned. The fire had been so intense that it took firefighters twelve hours to fully extinguish it."The fire marshal confirmed it was arson," Carl reported as they rode the elevator to the third floor. "Multiple ignition points, professional accelerants. Marcus wanted to ensure nothing survived."Jacob remained silent. The house itself did not matter—it was just a structure. But it had been Anna's first real home after leaving her family. The place where he had healed her scars. Where the

Training became the structure around which their days revolved. Every morning after breakfast, Jacob and Anna cleared the living room and spent two hours working on both physical combat and mystical energy control.Anna's progress was remarkable. Within a week, she could consistently manifest golden energy around her hands. Within two weeks, she was learning to channel that energy into enhanced speed and strength during sparring sessions."Your control is improving faster than mine did," Jacob admitted one morning as Anna successfully maintained her energy manifestation for a full minute. "It took me months to reach this level of stability.""Maybe women are naturally better at it," Anna teased, letting the glow fade from her hands. "Or maybe you are just an excellent teacher.""Or maybe your guardian bloodline is stronger than mine," Jacob replied seriously. "Some families had more potent abilities than others. If your mother descended from a particularly powerful line, you might hav

Jacob and Anna ran toward the edge of the crumbling rooftop, his hand gripping hers tightly. Behind them, the explosion's fire spread rapidly through the restaurant, consuming everything in orange flames."On three!" Jacob shouted over the roar of destruction. "One, two—"Gunfire erupted from the stairwell access. Not the random chaos of panicked security, but precise, professional shots aimed directly at them. Marcus had not just planted bombs—he had positioned shooters to eliminate anyone who survived the initial blast."Down!" Jacob yanked Anna behind an ornamental planter as bullets tore through the space where they had been standing. He counted three shooters emerging from the smoke-filled stairwell, all wearing tactical gear and moving with military coordination."Carl, status!" Jacob spoke into his earpiece while assessing their attackers."Pinned down on fifth floor," Carl's strained voice replied through static. "Building is coming apart. Cannot reach you."Jacob pulled his c