Landon stopped trying to fight the chaotic magic. He stopped trying to build a wall in his mind.He completely surrendered to the madness. He let the wild, unstable Kinetic Echo magic flow freely through his veins. He absorbed the angry, whispering voices of the dead gods and used their rage as his own power.Landon stood up. He did not look like a normal human hero anymore. He looked like a wild, unpredictable, magical beast. He let out a terrifying, guttural roar that shook the entire room.Landon charged straight at the ten Elite Guards. His combat foresight was completely blurry and broken, but he used the chaos to his absolute advantage. Because Landon didn't even know what his next move was going to be, the Elite Guards could not possibly predict him either.Landon fought with wild, impossible, animalistic fury.An Elite Guard swung a red sword at Landon's chest.Landon didn't duck. He didn't block. He simply threw himself completely backward, sliding wildly across the white fl

Landon looked toward the center of the roof. There was a small glass window looking down into the main elevator shafts.The extreme heat from the Lagos portal had melted the thick grease on the main elevator cables.All four massive, heavy steel elevator cars suddenly broke loose.The heavy steel cables snapped like thin strings.The four giant elevator cars plummeted straight down the dark shafts. They fell eighty stories in absolute free-fall.KABOOOOOOOM!The elevators crashed violently into the bottom of the shafts on the ground floor. The incredible impact shook the entire skyscraper so hard that Landon was thrown onto his hands and knees on the snowy roof."Claire!" Landon screamed into his radio. "Claire, are you okay?!"There was only static for three agonizing, terrible seconds. Landon’s heart stopped. He thought the falling elevators had crushed her."We are alive!" Claire coughed loudly over the radio. "The elevators crashed right next to us! The lobby is completely filled

“Hold on, brothers,” Landon encouraged Marcus and Kade through the mental link. “You are doing amazing. Almost done.”“My arms feel like they are going to explode,” Kade thought back, gritting his teeth. “But I will not drop it.”Finally, the very last civilian stepped safely across the metal beam. Jin, Sera, and Juno ran lightly across the beam next.Only Claire was left on the other side with Kade and Marcus."Your turn, Claire! Go!" Kade grunted, his knees shaking badly.Claire stepped onto the heavy steel beam. Because of her badly twisted ankle, she could not walk perfectly straight. She hobbled slowly, wincing in terrible pain with every step.She reached the exact middle of the steel beam, suspended right over the dark, empty fifty-story drop.Suddenly, a terrifying, massive explosion shook the entire skyscraper. KABOOOOOOOM!General Rauth’s Iron Order artillery ships outside the building had fired again.A massive missile slammed directly into the side of the skyscraper on the

Landon braced himself. He had nowhere to run. The hallway was too narrow. On his left was a solid glass wall looking out over the city of Lagos. On his right was a solid marble wall.The first green lieutenant swung the heavy metal stock of his shotgun directly at Landon's head.Landon ducked smoothly. He stepped inside the soldier's guard. He grabbed the heavy weapon, twisted it violently, and ripped it completely out of the soldier's hands.Landon used the heavy gun like a club. He smashed it brutally into the soldier's green helmet. CRACK! The soldier stumbled backward. But the other four lieutenants were already attacking.Because the hallway was so incredibly narrow, the fight became a claustrophobic, brutal, close-quarters brawl.Landon had to fight with his elbows, his knees, and his bare fists. He punched a soldier in the chest. The green armor absorbed his tiny spark of white magic with a soft FWOOMP sound."Your magic makes us stronger!" a lieutenant laughed, kicking Landon

The freezing winter snow of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was thousands of miles away. But for Claire Arden, the terrifying cold was right in front of her.Claire stood in the smoky stairwell of the Aether Dominion skyscraper in Milwaukee. She was shivering. She stared at the monster standing in the doorway.The monster had Landon Hale’s exact face. It had his broad shoulders. It had his strong jaw. But its skin was deathly pale, like white paper. Thick, toxic purple veins pulsed angrily under the skin of its neck.Worst of all were the eyes. The creature did not have human eyes. They were completely solid, pitch-black pools of ink. It was the Hunter clone."Hello, Claire," the Hunter whispered. Its voice sounded exactly like Landon's deep rumble, but it was twisted with an evil, robotic hiss.Claire did not back down. She raised her silver pistol. Her hands shook, but her dark eyes were fierce."Stay away from me," Claire commanded. She pulled the trigger. Bang! Bang!The bullets hit the Hun