The relic felt cold even through Patrick’s glove, but the satisfaction on his face was warm and alive.Evans watched him in the dim bar light, watched the way the old man’s fingers tightened like a man afraid the world might snatch his prize back. Maelik lay on the floor with blank eyes and shallow breaths. Boris and Silas groaned in the wreckage, their dragon force leaking in thin wisps as if their bodies couldn’t hold it anymore.Patrick cleared his throat and forced his voice steady. “Our work here is done.”Evans didn’t move. “Done?”“Yes,” Patrick said, tucking the relic carefully inside his inner suit pocket. “We got what we came for. Now it’s time to meet Silas Blackridge.”Evans’s eyes stayed on Patrick’s face. “You’re saying that like he’s waiting at a dinner table.”Patrick’s cane tapped once on the cracked floor. “Blackridge is not someone you keep waiting. He isn't someone who is using steady at his residence, even within Drakarion.”Evans glanced toward the broken tables

How could an ordinary waiter guess weather or not they possessed a Dragon ForcePatrick nodded. “Give me this special drink of yours.” Mr Patrick said.The waiter looked at Evans. “And for you, sir?”Evans kept his voice plain. “Same.”The waiter smiled he understood the fact that maybe both Evans and Mr Patrick wanted to keep the identities as people with the dragon force. “Excellent choice.”As the waiter walked away, Evans leaned slightly forward. “A man like you doesn’t spend three million casually,” he said. “And now you’re ordering premium drinks like this is a celebration.”Patrick chuckled. “Do you count every coin?”Evans’s gaze stayed fixed. “I count motives.”Patrick’s eyes met his. “Then count the motive that matters. Blackridge is not a joke. You need to be sharp.”Evans answered, “I’m always sharp.”Patrick’s lips curved. “Then you don’t need to worry about a drink.”Evans didn’t reply. He was still bothered by the same thing. The fog. The locked mind. The way Patrick mo

Evans didn’t answer right away. He breathed in once more, letting the smell settle in his nose. Under the sweetness, there was something else. Something designed to sit quietly in the bloodstream and cloud the mind.“I’m sure,” Evans said.Patrick studied him. “How sure?”Evans finally looked at him. “Enough to not drink it.”Patrick’s gaze stayed steady. “And if you’re wrong, you just embarrassed us in front of half the bar.”Evans replied, “If I’m right, we leave alive.”Patrick’s lips pressed together. “So you think it's not just expired. You think it’s drugged.” Mr Patrick used his Celestro Dragon Force ability to read Ethan's mind.Evans did not say yes. He did not say no. His silence was careful. It was survival.Patrick exhaled and leaned back. “Alright,” he said. “Then let them talk. I want to see what this is.”Evans did not relax. The waiter’s earlier smile kept replaying in his mind. Too smooth. Too ready. Not shocked enough for a serious accusation.The waiter returned wi

A customer screamed. A chair scraped. Someone dropped their phone.Patrick didn’t move, but his eyes sharpened. “Evans…”Evans took one step forward and looked down at the waiter, who was now clutching his chest and coughing like he had swallowed dust.The waiter tried to crawl back, eyes wide. “W-what did you do?”Evans’ voice stayed level. “I took your confidence.”The manager barked, panicked now. “Call the police! Call the—”The word spread faster than panic.“He—he used it,” someone whispered near the bar, voice shaking. “That wasn’t normal.”A woman backed away from her table, clutching her purse to her chest. “That’s Dragon Force,” she said, almost choking on the words. “I’ve seen videos. That’s exactly how they do it.”Another patron stood abruptly, knocking his chair over. “One of them is here,” he hissed. “We need to leave. Now. People with the Dragon Force are powerful and dangerous.”Fear rolled through the room in waves. Drinks were abandoned. Hands trembled. People wh

It wasn’t a blast of fire. It wasn’t a dramatic beam. It was a crushing storm aura that slammed into the vehicle like an invisible hammer. The back tires burst first, exploding with a sharp pop. The car jerked sideways, sparks screaming as rims scraped the pavement.The hood buckled like thin metal. The bonnet crumpled inward, folding and tearing as if a giant fist had punched down from the sky. The windshield spider-webbed, then cracked fully.The car spun and crashed into a low stone divider, stopping with smoke pouring from under the hood.People scattered in every direction.Some screamed. Some prayed. Some just ran with empty faces, like their bodies had turned into pure instinct. Phones fell to the ground and were forgotten.“A Dragon Force user is here!” someone yelled, voice breaking. “We’re going to die!”Evans moved toward the wrecked car, steps controlled. He didn’t look at the crowd. He didn’t need to.Fear had already made space for him.The driver’s door was shaking. T