Ethan left the hospital and flagged down a taxi on the street. The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "Where to?" Ethan gave him the address of his parents' old house. The drive took twenty minutes through morning traffic. Ethan stared out the window, his mind on Lily. Forty-eight hours. That was all he had. The taxi pulled up in front of the small, run-down house. Ethan paid and stepped out. Inside, everything was quiet. Dust covered the furniture. The house still felt abandoned. Ethan went upstairs to his old bedroom. He opened the drawer of the nightstand and pulled out a small wooden box. The ring was still there and it's safe. He picked it up, turning it over in his hand. The symbol etched into the silver surface caught the light. The same symbol that had been on the document at Black Wind Ridge. Shadow Profound Order. Ethan put the ring back in the box and locked it in the drawer. He would deal with that mystery later. Right now, he needed to focus on saving

Ethan sat in the taxi, his mind racing through everything the old man had taught him in prison. Moonlight Serpent Root. He had remembered the name in the hospital. But remembering a name was not enough. He needed to understand how to use it properly. "Pull over here," Ethan told the driver. They stopped at a small library. Ethan paid and went inside. The medical section was on the third floor. Ethan found what he needed quickly. Old texts on traditional Chinese medicine. Rare herb cultivation. Toxin neutralization techniques. He sat at a table and began reading. Moonlight Serpent Root grew only in high-altitude regions with specific soil conditions. It was harvested once every three years. The root itself was pale white, almost translucent, and had to be processed within seventy-two hours of harvesting or it lost its medicinal properties. Most importantly, it was one of only three known herbs that could neutralize deep-tissue blood poisons that bonded with nerve cells. Exactly

Ethan moved toward the compound wall.Thirty guards visible. Triple the number Edmund's intelligence reported. They were positioned strategically, not on standard patrols. Watching. Waiting.Someone had warned them.But Lily had less than forty-eight hours left.He had no choice.Ethan approached from the northwest corner where two camera angles did not quite meet. He pressed his back against the wall and listened.Footsteps on the other side. A guard walking slowly past.Ethan waited until the footsteps faded. Then he jumped, caught the top of the wall, pulled himself up in one smooth motion. His body cleared the razor wire by inches. He dropped down on the other side, landing silently.The compound grounds were darker here. Trees and bushes provided cover.Ethan moved quickly toward the main building. Three stories. Dark windows. According to the blueprints, Russo's office was on the second floor, east side. The safe was behind a painting.He reached a side door and crouched beside

Ethan walked across the study and dropped the bag onto Edmund's desk.Edmund opened it carefully and pulled out the documents. He spread them across the desk, examining each one. Financial records. Bank transfers. Contracts with signatures. Emails printed on company letterhead.His eyes moved quickly over the pages. Reading. Verifying.After several minutes, he looked up at Ethan."These are authentic," Edmund said. "You actually did it."Ethan said nothing. Just waited.Edmund leaned back in his chair, studying Ethan more carefully now. The blood on his shoulder. The torn clothes. The exhaustion visible in his eyes despite his steady posture."Russo's compound was supposed to have twenty guards," Edmund said slowly. "How many were there?""At least thirty. Maybe more."Edmund's expression darkened. "Someone must have told him you were coming.""Yes.""Do you know who?""No."Edmund was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded. "But you still succeeded. Against impossible odds. That is impr

The eight mercenaries opened fire.But Ethan was already moving.He rolled forward as bullets tore through the air where he had been standing, came up behind an old metal machine part, using it as cover.The mercenaries advanced in formation. Professional. Disciplined. They spread out to cover multiple angles, cutting off his escape routes.Ethan did not try to escape.He charged.Straight at the closest mercenary. The man tried to adjust his aim but Ethan was faster. He grabbed the rifle barrel, twisted it upward. The mercenary's finger was still on the trigger. Bullets sprayed into the ceiling.Ethan yanked the rifle from his hands and swung it like a club into the man's helmet. The mercenary dropped.One down.Two more came from the sides. Ethan threw the rifle at one's face, heard the crunch of broken nose through the helmet visor. The man stumbled backward.The other swung a combat knife. Ethan caught his wrist, redirected the momentum, drove his elbow into the mercenary's throat