Maura Lannigan's blood was still warm on David's palms, yet her body was cooling at an unnatural rate. Amidst the smoky ruins of the lobby, David knelt like a statue, embracing the now lifeless corpse.The ring on David's finger pulsed wildly, radiating heat that burned his skin, as if the metal were melting and fusing with his bone.[Confirmation Received.][Initiating Protocol SOUL HARVEST][Target: Maura Lannigan (Status: Bonded Slave).][Warning: This absorption is permanent. The target's soul will not proceed to the afterlife but will be bound to the Host as a Spirit Guardian.]"Do it," David whispered hoarsely. "Don't let her go. She belongs to me."WOOONG.A low humming sound echoed, not in the air, but inside David's skull.From Maura's slightly parted mouth, thin black smoke began to flow out. It was the essence of life, the remnants of Maura's memories, pain, love, and hatred. The smoke swirled in the air, f

Safe house in Queens.David sat on the edge of the military cot, his body trembling violently. His blood-soaked white shirt had been removed and thrown into the corner of the room. His bare upper body was covered in purple bruises and scratches that hadn't fully closed yet.But the physical wounds weren't the problem. The problem was his eyes.David's usually electric blue eyes now flickered unstably between pitch black and empty grey. The shadow of Maura's Banshee resided within him, screaming endless sorrow and regret. A bone-piercing chill crept up his spine, making him shiver as if he were drowning at the bottom of the East River all over again."Cold..." David raved, his teeth chattering. His hands gripped the bedsheet until it tore. "Maura... the blood won't stop... why won't it stop?"He was hallucinating. He saw Maura's blood on his hands, even though he had washed them ten times. The side effects of the Soul Harvest were eating away at his sanity. He absorbed the power of dea

Dozens of uniformed personnel stormed in with assault rifles."AAAAHHH!" Camelia screamed, dropping her towel.The truck driver ran out of the bathroom stark naked, slipped, and fell. "I don't know anything! I just paid!"Detective Miller stepped inside, gun in hand. He stared at Camelia with a sharp gaze."Camelia Harrow?" Miller asked."Y-yes... Mr. Policeman, please... I was forced to work here..." Camelia cried, raising her hands."You are arrested for the first-degree murder of Sergeant Robert Gable and possession of Class A illegal narcotics," Miller read coldly."What?!" Camelia's eyes went wide. "Murder? Robert is dead? No... that's impossible! Last night he was still beating me!""Search her bag," Miller ordered his men.An officer dumped the contents of Camelia's bag onto the mattress. Cheap lipstick, condoms, and... a glass vial containing neon green liquid rolled out.Miller picked up the vial with a g

That night, in the recreation room.The inmates gathered to watch a tube TV caged behind iron bars. Camelia sat in the corner, hugging her knees, her body still smelling of floor cleaner despite having showered with cold water."Hey! Breaking news!" shouted one of the inmates.The TV screen displayed a Breaking News banner.TITAN CORP SCANDAL ENDS: NEW CEO APPOINTEDThe image switched to a grand press conference podium. Camera flashes blinked blindingly.A man stepped up to the podium. He wore a suit, his face handsome, his jawline sharp, and his aura of power pierced through the glass screen.Beside him stood an incredibly beautiful woman in an elegant dress, Elena Moretti, looking at the man with eyes full of love.It was David.Camelia held her breath. That was her husband. The man she threw away. The man she cheated on with a fat, corrupt cop.David smiled at the camera."Today marks a new era for Titan

The rain in New York tonight fell unnaturally, as if the sky were trying to wash away the city's stubborn sins. Inside the car speeding through the silence of Canal Street, David Vexley sat in the back seat, staring at the droplets racing down the windowpane.In the driver's seat, Isabella held the steering wheel with one hand, while the other busily twirled a knife between her fingers, a nervous habit she rarely showed."Are you sure about this, Boss?" Isabella asked, glancing at the rearview mirror. "Chinatown at night is a different country. The NYPD doesn't dare enter after ten o'clock. It's Triad territory.""Grandpa said the book is there," David replied calmly, adjusting his shirt cuff. "And I can't fight Arthur with bare hands forever. I need an upgrade.""Arthur knows you're going there," Isabella said. "The underground radio signals are very noisy tonight. Arthur contacted 'Dragon Head Zhang', the local Triad leader. He offered an exclusive cont