The sun was slowly sinking beneath the horizon, painting the vast ocean in shades of orange and crimson as darkness began creeping across the waters surrounding Skull Island. The waves crashed against the sides of the approaching boats, their engines roaring through the otherwise quiet evening. One by one, several dark vessels cut through the water, moving swiftly toward the island with their lights deliberately kept off. The men aboard remained unusually quiet, their weapons already prepared as they watched the distant silhouette of Skull Island grow larger with every passing minute.These were the Iron Wolves.Kade stood at the front of the lead boat, his expression cold and unreadable as the wind swept through his hair. Beside him stood Victor Crane and Michael, both fully armed and dressed for battle. Behind them, dozens of Iron Wolves members occupied the other boats, their faces tense as they prepared themselves for whatever awaited them on the island. They had deliberately avoi

Inside the fortress, Elara had been cleaned and changed into a simple white silk robe before being brought back to Jackson’s private chamber. Her wrists were still bound, and although the robe was meant to make her appear presentable, she felt nothing but disgust and fear as the guards shoved her into the room and locked the door behind her.Jackson was waiting.He had changed out of his earlier clothes and was wearing only his underwear, lounging as though he were preparing to enjoy an ordinary evening rather than holding a hostage inside his fortress. The moment his eyes landed on Elara, an ugly smile spread across his face.“So,” he murmured, rising from his seat. “Much better.”Elara immediately stepped backward.“Stay away from me.”Jackson chuckled and took another step.“You really should stop making things difficult. You already know why you’re here.”Elara’s eyes darted around the room desperately. She needed something—anything—that could give her a chance to defend herself.

Meanwhile back at the shoreline where Kade and the iron wolves arrived with their boats. The moment the realization settled in, Victor Crane’s expression became grim.They were surrounded.Every direction was occupied by members of the Black Serpent Organization, their weapons glinting beneath the harsh lights that had suddenly illuminated the shoreline. Machetes, axes, steel pipes, and various other weapons were raised as hundreds of men slowly tightened the circle around the Iron Wolves. The element of surprise they had counted on was gone, and with it went the advantage Kade had hoped to exploit.Victor glanced around before turning toward Kade. “Boss, what do we do now? They knew we were coming. Our entire plan has been exposed, and there are too many of them. If we try to force our way through together, we’ll lose too much time.”Kade remained completely calm.His eyes swept across the battlefield, taking in the number of enemies, their positions, the surrounding structures, and

Kade stood calmly in the middle of them.He hadn’t even bothered to look at the man he had struck.His eyes were already moving toward the fortress.“Where is she?”The remaining guards finally snapped out of their shock.“OPEN FIRE!”Gunfire erupted.BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!Dozens of bullets tore through the air.Kade didn’t retreat.He simply brought his hands together.Clap!A tremendous burst of Aether erupted from his body.The air itself seemed to explode.BOOOOOOM!A violent gust swept across the courtyard, swallowing the incoming bullets and sending them tumbling harmlessly into the distance. The armed men were caught in the same blast. Their bodies were lifted from the ground and thrown backward, weapons flying from their hands as they crashed against vehicles, walls, and concrete barriers.Several men tried to regain their footing.Kade was already there.His fist drove into one man’s stomach.BAM!Another attempted to attack him from the side, only to receive a backhand acr

Tears rolled down Elara’s cheeks as she stood trembling before Jackson, her mind already made up. She hated the thought of what she was about to do, hated the humiliation and disgust twisting inside her, but none of it mattered anymore. Kade had come to Skull Island because of her, and she could not stand by and watch him die because he had tried to save her. If sacrificing herself was the only way to keep him alive, then she was willing to pay that price. With trembling fingers, she slowly reached for the hem of her dress, her eyes lowered as she fought back another wave of tears. Jackson watched her closely, an ugly smile spreading across his face as he waited for her to surrender to the situation he had created.“That’s right,” he muttered, his eyes filled with anticipation. “Maybe you’re finally beginning to understand the difference between us.”Elara said nothing. Her fingers continued trembling as she struggled to maintain her composure, but before she could take another step,