Chapter 51Ares did not even remember how his feet had carried him into that hospital corridor.One second ago, he had still been sitting on his bed, his breathing not yet fully steady after a dream that felt more real than his own life. The next second, the world seemed to fold. The air trembled, space contracted, and then—he was standing in a corridor that smelled of antiseptic, with white lights that were far too bright.Nurses’ footsteps passed back and forth. The soft beeping of monitors echoed. The faint cry of a baby could be heard from a distance.Ares lowered his head, looking at his own hands. Still intact. Still real.“What is this… again?” he murmured softly.He had experienced things like this many times before. Movement without motion. Arrival without a door. Departure without a trace. Yet even so, every time it happened, the confusion never lessened.Ares took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart that was beating far too fast.“Calm down,” he whispered to himself. “F

Chapter 53Morning arrived with gentle light slipping through the large windows of the Cole residence. The air was still cool, the aroma of warm coffee mixed with the scent of toasted bread filling the dining room.Elara was already seated neatly at the end of the long table. A slim tablet lay beside her plate, while a cup of tea still released thin wisps of steam. Her face was calm and focused, as always—a woman whose mind kept working even during breakfast.The sound of shoes echoed from the corridor.Ares appeared in an all-black uniform. A black shirt fitted perfectly to his body, dark trousers, polished shoes. His bodyguard aura was fully back. His face was cold, but his eyes were sharp and alert.“Good morning, Miss Elara,” Ares greeted in a low, polite voice.Elara glanced at him briefly, then nodded. “Morning.”Ares stood at the side of the table, waiting for a signal. He did not sit right away—a habit that never changed.“Breakfast,” Elara said shortly.“Thank you, Miss.”Are

A week had passed since the banquet. The morning felt quieter than usual at the Cole residence. Ares stood in front of the living room television, still dressed in all-black casual clothes. His arms were crossed over his chest, his jaw clenched.The television screen showed a large-scale press conference.There, Rachel sat gracefully in a pastel dress, her face wearing a gentle smile. Beside her, Maxim stood tall, full of confidence. A baby boy was being carried by a nurse, wrapped in a white blanket bearing the Wilson family logo.“With this, we introduce our son,” Maxim’s voice rang out clearly, “Xavier Wilson. The legitimate heir of the Wilson family.”Cameras flashed. Applause echoed.Ares looked away for a moment, then returned his gaze to the screen. His eyes darkened.“Heir…” he murmured softly.Rachel smiled toward the camera, her hand briefly touching the baby’s cheek, merely a formality. Ares observed her movement carefully. There was no warmth there. No vibration that shoul

The sound of engines and the clanging of metal echoed across the project site. Thin dust scattered, carried by the morning wind. Ares stood with a construction helmet on his head, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. In front of him, the frame of the apartment building was beginning to take shape. On the other side, the new housing area had been leveled, the foundations neatly poured.Only twenty percent.Still a long way to go.He stared at the building for quite a while.“From zero…” he muttered softly.One of the foremen approached. “Mr. Ares, for Block B, the materials have arrived. Just a final inspection before installation.”Ares nodded. “Good. Make sure the quality meets the specifications. Don’t let anything be reduced.”“Yes, sir.”Ares was still not used to being called that. Sir. It felt strange. A few months ago, he did not even have anything.Now, his first property project was already underway.He walked along the construction area. His shoes stepped on the still-

Chapter 59One in the morning.Ares woke up gasping for breath. His body was drenched in sweat, even though the air conditioner was running as usual. He sat upright on the bed, his hand immediately touching his chest, making sure his heart was still beating normally.“Why again…” he muttered softly.The dream had come again.Not just a vague shadow like before. This time it felt more real. Closer. As if he had truly been there.In his dream, he stood in the middle of a foreign battlefield. The ground was cracked, the sky red, the wind carrying the smell of iron and smoke. Around him echoed the clash of weapons, screams, and the footsteps of troops whose forms could not be seen.Then that figure appeared.Thick black fog formed into a towering shadow. Its face was unclear, only two sharp points of light staring straight at him.“Ares.”The voice was heavy. Deep. As if it came from inside his own head.“What do you want?” Ares asked in the dream, still standing upright.“You are startin