Thanes POVAfter Lysander was shot, the world narrowed to a single, hot point of sound and motion. He slumped to the dusty ground, blood spreading like a dark stain across the uniform I had given him. For a second I could not breathe. This was the moment I had trained against, the thing I had sworn would never happen while I lived—but it did. Sahil Riyas had been waiting. He had laid an ambush and camouflaged his men. He had chosen his angle and pulled his trigger with cold, practiced hands.Take cover!I barked. My voice cut the silence like a blade. The remaining fifteen soldiers scattered, diving behind rocks, cracked walls, anything that offered shelter. I saw faces go pale, then harden. Soldiers who had stood like statues with me in hundreds of operations now moved like hunted animals. That was fine—fight like animals if you must, but survive.Return fire!I ordered, scanning the rubble for movement. The warzone was a painting of ruins—burnt cars, collapsed roofs, and empty windows

The Memorial Day Thanes POVAfter Shawn struck Sahil Riyas down, silence swept over the Warfield. The fire of gunpowder still hung in the air, thick and acrid, but the fighting had stopped. All that remained were the dead — Sahil, his band of terrorists, and the bodies of my comrades who had stood with me but would never rise again. Their weight was carried back to the barracks, wrapped in rough army sheets, stiff with blood. Every step the soldiers took was heavy, each footfall echoing the truth: they would not be walking beside us anymore.When the bodies reached camp, the barracks transformed from a place of order to one of grief. Soldiers lined up in silence, helmets pressed against their chests. Some clenched fists so tightly that their knuckles turned white; others bowed their heads so low that their foreheads almost touched the floor. And yet, among the sorrow, I noticed something else — something sharper. Admiration. Respect. Not for me, but for Shawn.Shawn had been the one

Thane’s POVThe words of Viktor and Damien still replayed in my mind the moment I walked out of the memorial hall.President Mark Wilson wanted to see me. It wasn’t an ordinary invitation; it was a summon. Every soldier in the capital knew what that meant, when the President called, you either returned with your rank intact, or you didn’t return at all.The black BMW waiting outside was flanked by three soldiers. They didn’t even bother to salute or acknowledge my presence. That disrespect cut deep, but I held it in.One of them opened the back door without a word. I climbed in, my face hard and unreadable. My uniform was still stiff with dried blood and dust.The ride took almost three hours. Nobody said a word the entire time.Washington’s skyline finally came into view. The White House stood there like a beam of light in the middle of darkness. Normally, stepping into that building filled me with pride. Tonight, it felt like a noose tightening around my neck.The security at the ga

The Fall of the God of WarThane’s POVThe military council hall was bright, lit up with golden lights from chandeliers. Rows of leaders, governors, and rich influential men sat in sharp suits.Everyone was already seated, and I clearly noticed they had been waiting for me for quite a while.I walked inside slowly, my boots hitting the marble floor, sounding loud as I passed. My uniform was clean, my beard trimly cut, and my badge still heavy on my chest, heavier if possible, but right now, it felt completely useless. I had faced bombs, bullets, and ambushes without fear, but this place, with all these eyes staring at me, felt worse than any battlefield.At the far end sat the commissioner, his glasses shining under the lights. Beside him, the governor of Kentucky leaned back in his chair, his cold eyes glaring at me.Rich men whispered to each other, and in the center, at the highest seat, sat President Mark Wilson.I knew what this meant. Seeing the president here meant he wanted to

Thane’s POVI hailed a taxi across the street and dropped the address to the driver—St. Luis Hotel, around Georgia City. He drove me straight there without wasting time. I paid him while carrying my luggage toward the receptionist, where I had to make payment for the room I’d be staying in.The receptionist handed me the room key and the payment receipt. She looked exactly like Theresa. She gave me the key to room number 309, close to the end of the third floor. I stepped into the lift and arrived there instantly.“At least people here won’t know I’m the dethroned God of War from Campbell City,” I whispered to myself.I took a warm shower, then was offered a hot dog and a hamburger for dinner. “This will be delicious,” I muttered, smiling to myself.After that, I dialed Theresa’s number, the one she gave me when we met on the airplane.“Hi Theresa, this is the passenger you gave your number to today.”“Hey, you mean the passenger that asked for extra hermit crab?”“Yes, I’m the one,”