The Wentworth Pavilion rose high above the city, a shimmering glass structure that sparkled like a diamond. Inside, the atmosphere buzzed with the lively chatter of the city’s elite.Cai stepped in alongside Shane, his footsteps make sound on the tiled floor. Wearing a midnight-blue designer suit that hugged his tall frame just right, he felt lost in thought.Yura and Gojak didn't come along with them. Yura had an emergency with her family and her Gojak went to tye countryside to tend to his sick grandmother."I’m telling you, Cai, if you walked like that in the city center, you’d have a fan club in no time," Shane murmured, his eyes wide as he took in the lavish surroundings. "You look like you belong here."Cai offered a faint, distracted smile. "I can’t help but think about my old master. If he could see me now, he’d probably whack me with his wooden staff for flaunting something that cost more than his whole temple. He always said I was better suited for sweeping floors than anyth

The atmosphere in the Arrows' main estate was filled with silence, almost suffocating. Inside the grand study, the only sound was the painfully slow ticking of Silas Arrows clock that had been in the same spot for years. Silas Arrows, the family patriarch whose name evoked both fear and respect in Lume City's elite meetings, sat behind his desk, motionless. He hadn’t budged in ten minutes, but he didn't need to. Just his presence was enough to make the walls feel like they were closing in. Cyril stood in the center of the room, looking a mess in his wrinkled designer suit, his hair disheveled, and his lip swollen from Darren's last desperate punch. He resembled a man who'd been dragged through a hedge backward, but the real damage was in the glare from his grandfather. By the window, Grant Arrows cast a shadow against the glittering city lights. He looked completely composed, a stark contrast to his son’s shaking figure. Grant didn’t seem angry; he looked worn out, lik

Chapter 35: Morning After, Mountain BoyAt six in the morning, Andrew’s penthouse resembled something between a crime scene and the aftermath of a wild celebration, courtesy of an overly enthusiastic uncle who thought his nephew’s big social face-off with two city heirs warranted at least three more rounds of something fancy.Empty glasses littered almost every surface. A half-eaten bowl of noodles sat neglected on the coffee table, and somehow, one of Andrew's designer Italian loafers had ended up precariously balanced on the third shelf of the bookshelf. No one could quite figure out how it had gotten there, and at the moment, no one was in any shape to ask.Andrew was sprawled face down on the couch, still dressed in his rumpled suit. One arm dangled over the edge, his fingers twitching sporadically, and his hair looked as if it had been through a wind tunnel and just abandoned.Cai, on the other hand, was sitting on the floor with his back against the couch, wide awake. He wasn’

Chapter 37: What Lives UnderneathAs soon as Vessel vanished, Shane turned to Cai.He didn't respond right away. He took a solid three seconds… a pause that suggested he was choosing his words carefully, which was unusual for Shane and felt like a warning sign in itself."Did you just sign your name without knowing what this could mean?" Shane asked.Cai met his gaze steadily. "I didn't sign my name."Shane blinked. "Excuse me?""The contract required a signature. I provided one." Cai shoved his hands into his pockets. "But it wasn’t mine."The grey city buzzed around them, utterly indifferent. A building shuddered and dissolved at its upper floors two streets away, just like everything did here… slowly, oblivious to itself.Shane opened his mouth, then shut it again. He tried once more. "You… during a negotiation with an ancient interdimensional broker who yanked us through a floor portal… you gave him a fake signature.""A technically valid mark that doesn’t count as a binding agree

By the time they gathered at their usual spot, the evening sun was already dipping behind the far-off skyline. Inside, the dim light highlighted the rusted edges of the metal furniture.Shane plopped down in a worn chair with a groan that sounded like he’d just walked the entire city."I’m telling you right now, Cai, don’t even think about going to Royal Lume University," Shane complained, tossing his bag onto a rusted metal table. "It’s a trap. A soul-crushing machine. The professors don’t even talk to you; they just glare from behind their desks and take points off for doing something slightly wrong. I lasted three hours in advanced macroeconomics today, and I swear I left half my brain cells in that lecture hall."Cai, leaning against a chipped pillar by the window, didn’t seem particularly sympathetic. He glanced at his notes, a mix of amusement and mild disdain on his face.Shane rolled his eyes, noticing Cai’s easygoing posture. "Right, I forgot who I’m talking to. You’ve got th