All Chapters of After Prison, I Became the Apex of the Stars: Chapter 91
- Chapter 100
212 chapters
CHAPTER 91
The room fell silent as Eddard stared at the woman who had been his mother, the woman who had died when he was a child, the woman who had been buried and mourned."Mom?" his voice cracked, the word escaping like a breath. "How... you died. I watched them lower your casket into the ground."His mother smiled, a sad, tired expression. "I know. And I'm sorry. I never wanted you to go through that. But it was necessary.""Necessary? You faked your death? You let me believe you were dead for over twenty years?""I had no choice. The Collective was hunting me. They knew I had discovered their secrets, and they would have killed me. They would have killed you too, to make sure you couldn't inher
CHAPTER 92
The villa had become a prison of silence. Eddard sat alone in the study, the letter from the unknown sender burning a hole in his pocket. The words echoed in his mind like a curse he couldn't escape. "The Watcher is dead. But the Keeper lives." His mother had been the Watcher. She had faked her death, hidden in the shadows, manipulated events from afar. And now, someone was claiming that a Keeper still walked the earth. Arya found him there, the fire casting dancing shadows across his face. She didn't speak at first. She just stood in the doorway, watching him, her arms wrapped around herself as if she were cold. The silence between them was heavy, filled with unspoken words and unasked questions.
CHAPTER 93
The words hung in the air like a death sentence."Victor Cross. He's still alive."Eddard's hand tightened around his mother's, his knuckles white. The heart monitor beeped steadily, a rhythm that felt obscene in the face of what she had just revealed."Victor Cross," he repeated, the name foreign on his tongue. "My father. The man who abandoned you. The man who betrayed the Sovereign. He's alive?"His mother nodded weakly, her eyes glistening with tears she was too exhausted to shed. "He never died, Eddard. He faked his death, just like I did. He's been hiding in the shadows, building his power, waiting for the right moment to strike."
Read moreLast Updated : 2026-07-14
CHAPTER 94
The Carpathian Mountains were dark and unforgiving, their peaks shrouded in mist. Eddard and his team moved through the forest, their footsteps muffled by the snow, their breath misting in the cold air.Kaelen had pinpointed the bunker's location to a valley hidden between two peaks. The entrance was concealed behind a wall of rock, accessible only through a narrow passage that was barely wide enough for one person."This is it," Kaelen whispered, pointing to the entrance. "The bunker is underground. The ventilation shafts are on the north side. If we can get to them, we can get inside."Eddard nodded, his eyes scanning the area. "Diana, Raven, you're with me. The rest of you, stay here and cover the exit."
Read moreLast Updated : 2026-07-15
CHAPTER 95
Victor's terms were simple, brutal, and absolute.Eddard would publicly renounce his alliance with the families. He would declare his loyalty to the Collective's new order. He would become Victor's right hand, his enforcer, his heir. In return, Lily would be returned to him, unharmed, her memory of the abduction wiped clean."If you betray me, she dies," Victor said. "If you try to save her before the deal is done, she dies. If you so much as hesitate, she dies."Eddard's hands were shaking. His throat felt like it had been packed with sand. He looked at Arya, and the fear in her eyes mirrored his own—a reflection of a terror so profound it was almost unbearable."I'll do it," he sa
CHAPTER 96
The villa had never felt so fragile.Eddard stood in the doorway of Lily's bedroom, watching her sleep. The moonlight filtered through the curtains, painting silver stripes across her face. Her breathing was soft, steady, the rhythm of a child who had finally found peace after a nightmare.But Eddard knew the nightmare wasn't over.His hand gripped the doorframe, his knuckles white. The memory of her voice—Daddy, Daddy, Daddy—echoed in his skull like a wound that wouldn't close. He had almost lost her. He had almost lost everything.Arya appeared behind him, her hand sliding into his. Her fingers were warm against his cold s
CHAPTER 97
The public renunciation was held in a press conference, broadcast live across the world.Eddard stood at the podium, his face pale, his voice steady. Behind him were photographs of the families, the alliances, the people he had sworn to protect."Today, I am renouncing my allegiance to the families," he said, his voice echoing through the hall. "I am no longer bound by their laws, their wars, their endless cycle of betrayal."The reporters erupted, questions flying from every direction. Eddard ignored them, his eyes fixed on the camera."I am joining the Collective. I am joining my father, Victor Cross."A collective gasp ripp
CHAPTER 98
Victor didn't leave.He stood in the center of the warehouse, his guards dismissed, his defenses lowered. He looked smaller somehow, less like the terrifying figure Eddard had built him up to be and more like a man who had been carrying an unbearable weight for far too long."I knew your mother before she was the Watcher," Victor said. "Before she became what she was. She was kind. Passionate. She believed in a better world, just like you do."Eddard listened in silence, his heart heavy."I was supposed to protect her," Victor continued. "But I was weak. I let ambition cloud my judgment. I let the Collective manipulate me. And when I finally realized what I had become, it was too late. I
CHAPTER 99
The villa had never felt so empty.Eddard stood in the doorway of the bedroom he had shared with Arya, his hand resting on the frame, his eyes fixed on the bed that was still rumpled from the morning she had left. Her pillow still held the faint indentation of her head. Her robe hung on the back of the door, the fabric soft and worn from years of use.He couldn't bring himself to move it.Lily had gone to stay with his mother for the night, her small face pale with grief, her eyes red from crying. She had asked if she could keep Arya's necklace—a simple silver chain with a small pendant that Arya had worn every day. Eddard had nodded, unable to speak, and watched as Lily slipped it over her head, the pendant resting against her heart.
Last Updated : 2026-07-17Read more
CHAPTER 100
The assault on the compound was brutal and bloody.Eddard led the charge, his weapon blazing, his heart cold with fury. The extremists fought with the desperation of cornered animals, but they were no match for the fury of a man who had lost everything.He found their leader in the main hall—a man named Samuel Cross, Victor's former protégé, who had been orchestrating the attacks from the shadows."Collins," Samuel sneered. "I was wondering when you'd show up."Eddard didn't waste words. He lunged forward, his fist connecting with Samuel's jaw. The man stumbled back, but he recovered quickly, pulling out a knife.
Last Updated : 2026-07-18Read more