"Run! Save yourselves! That madman is really going to blow up this building!" shouted a minister of defense with a deathly pale face.The sound of mass panic exploded instantly inside the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Imperial Hotel. Hundreds of high-ranking officials, military generals, and socialites who had previously sat haughtily were now pushing, trampling, and clawing at each other to reach the exit. Silk dresses were torn, trampled by expensive leather shoes. Round tables filled with luxurious dishes spilled messily onto the red carpet. There was no more authority. There were no more manners. Pure terror had turned the rulers of the state into a herd of animals trapped in a slaughterhouse."You won't be able to run anywhere!" roared General Graves from the stage, his laughter shrill, discordant, and full of madness. "The main doors are destroyed, and I have tightly locked the evacuation corridors from the command center! We will all burn to ashes tonight! I w

"This is not a dog collar, Mr. Thorne. This is a symbol of the highest respect from all the people and this country for our true hero." The President's voice trembled violently as he answered Caleb's question. Cold sweat continued to drip from his temples, wetting the collar of his expensive white shirt. "We have been blind for these five years. We were deceived by this treacherous monster. This country needs an absolute protector figure like you."Seeing the number one person in the republic kneeling, the remaining mental defenses of the other high-ranking officials shattered instantly. The sound of knees hitting the wooden stage floor began to be heard one after another."Please lead us, General Thorne!" exclaimed a severely trembling minister of defense, throwing himself to the floor behind the President."You are the only one worthy of holding control of this military! We beg you, save this country from destruction!" added a three-star general, taking

The thick billowing asphalt dust and snow slowly began to part by a deadly gust of wind. In the middle of the smoking crater, Caleb Thorne slowly stood up. His black suit was burned in several places, his shirt torn, revealing his hardened chest muscles. His glowing red eyes stared sharply at the hundreds of remaining Aegis troops with overflowing murderous intent."Shoot! Kill that monster right now! Don't let him out of that crater!" shouted the Aegis commander with a severely trembling voice, stepping back until he bumped into the hood of an armored car. "Use the electromagnetic cannons! Destroy him until not a single living cell remains in his body! Shoot!""Commander! He is not dead! Our shots are completely ineffective!" screamed a frontline soldier in panic."Keep shooting! Don't stop until your weapons melt!" roared the commander while laughing hysterically, trying to cover up the absolute fear squeezing his heart.Hundreds of weapon barrels, grenade launchers, and blue energy

"Death is my domain, and tonight I strictly refuse your arrival there, Bella."Caleb Thorne gripped the pitch-black tactical dagger very tightly. The razor-sharp blade glinted, reflecting the remaining fire from the destroyed front yard of the castle. He stared at Isabella Vane's face, which was as cold as marble. The woman's breathing had completely stopped. Her heart had fallen silent. However, for the Shadow Emperor, the boundary line between life and death was merely a fragile door whose key he held tightly."You already offered your body and your entire soul to me in that underground corridor, didn't you?" whispered Caleb, sliding the knife blade right over his own left palm. His eyes radiated endless darkness. "You promised to be my Queen. So tonight, I will bind that offer with a price you will never be able to pay off in your lifetime."SLASH!Caleb slashed his own palm in one rough motion and without the slightest hesitation. His flesh sp

"Hans, prepare the car," commanded Caleb with a soul-freezing tone of voice. "We are going to that nightclub. It is time to pick up the first head to fill our coffins."It took less than two hours for the black bulletproof sedan to cut through the snowy streets from Geneva to the center of Zurich. In one of the most expensive entertainment districts in Europe stood L'Etoile Nightclub. The building radiated a disgusting luxury, with dark purple neon lights and a row of exotic sports cars parked neatly in front of the main lobby. This place was not just a high-class dance floor; it was a haven for the jet set, dirty politicians, and elite criminals to throw away their blood money.Caleb Thorne stepped out of the car. He had changed his blood-soaked shirt for a pitch-black one, paired with a matching long coat that absorbed all the night's light. Behind him, Viktor Krum followed. The Russian giant was back in his black and white tuxedo butler suit, which looked far to