The healing temple was quiet when Derek returned.The enormous wooden doors opened as he approached, and the senior healers inside immediately noticed him.Several of them stopped what they were doing.One healer quickly bowed his head."Master Derek," he greeted.Derek nodded."I need information," he stated.The senior healer, an elderly man named Elder Han, stepped forward."What do you need?" he asked."Moon Vein Grass," Derek answered.The man's expression changed."You're looking for it again?" he checked."Yes," Derek confirmed."For the young lady?"Derek nodded."My sister," he clarified.Elder Han studied him for a moment."Then you should know that it is extremely rare," he warned."I know," Derek acknowledged."It doesn't grow in ordinary soil. It requires a specific environment," Elder Han explained."Where?" Derek pressed.Elder Han hesitated."Black Mist Valley," he revealed.Derek's eyes narrowed."Where is that?" he inquired."The northern mountains, beyond Cold Sprin

Malcolm Whitmore sat alone in his private office.The city stretched beneath the floor-to-ceiling windows, but he wasn't looking at it.His attention was fixed on the tablet in his hand.A secure message had just arrived from his intelligence network.SUBJECT IDENTIFIED.Malcolm opened it.The first photograph appeared.A young man with a calm expression, dressed simply, walking through a street in Riverstone City.Derek.Malcolm studied the photograph for several seconds."So this is him," he muttered softly.His intelligence director, Marcus Reed, stood across the desk."Yes, sir," Marcus confirmed."Tell me what you know," Malcolm commanded.Marcus opened a folder."Derek spent five years in Blue Gate Prison," he reported.Malcolm looked up."Five years?" he repeated."Yes," Marcus acknowledged."What was the original charge?" Malcolm inquired."It's complicated," Marcus admitted.Malcolm's eyes narrowed."Complicated isn't an answer," he snapped.Marcus nodded quickly."The offici

Mateo Salazar did not believe in taking unnecessary risks.After the emergency meeting of the Chambers of Death, he ordered his men to investigate Derek.Not attack him.Not threaten him.Investigate.He wanted to know who Derek was, where he came from, who trained him, and why the sacred chamber had responded to him.Three of his most reliable men received the assignment.Their leader was Rafael, a former military operative who had worked for Mateo for almost eight years.The other two were Luis and Hector.They were not ordinary street criminals.They had followed targets across borders, infiltrated warehouses, tracked enemies, and gathered information without getting caught.Mateo gave them one strict instruction before they left."Do not touch him," he warned.Rafael nodded quickly."We understand," he assured."I mean it," Mateo reinforced."Yes, boss," Rafael repeated."You are not going there to prove how strong you are. You're going there to learn," Mateo clarified.Rafael loo

Sylvia Gomo stood beside the large window of her mother's private room, staring at the garden outside.The room was quiet.Too quiet.Behind her, her mother lay motionless on the bed.Her breathing had become weaker over the past few days.The doctors had tried everything they knew.Medication.Infusions.Traditional remedies.Specialists had been brought in from different cities.Nothing worked.Sylvia turned around."How is she?" she asked.Dr. Zeus stood beside the bed, examining the medical report in his hands.He didn't answer immediately.Sylvia's expression hardened."Zeus," she warned.He slowly looked up."She is getting weaker," he reported.Sylvia's jaw tightened."You said the treatment was working," she recalled."It was," he noted."Then why is she worse?" she snapped.Zeus sighed softly."Her body is no longer responding the way it did before," he admitted.Sylvia walked toward him."What does that mean?" she demanded."It means the medication isn't enough anymore," he

The road toward Black Mist Valley narrowed as Derek drove farther north, watching the last traces of civilization fade in his rearview mirror. Dense timber lined both sides of the asphalt, their heavy branches arching overhead to swallow the sunlight and drop the temperature several degrees. A cold, damp mist had already begun pooling between the trunks.Derek kept a steady grip on the wheel. His objective was clear and non-negotiable: reach Black Mist Valley, find Cold Spring, and retrieve the Moon Vein Grass the healing temple prescribed for Emily. He glanced at the winding path ahead, entirely unaware that he was no longer alone in the woods.Several miles away, deep beneath the canopy, a squad of twelve heavily armed men moved with practiced discipline. Clad in dark tactical gear, they carried rifles, combat knives, and short-range coms.Their leader, Victor, paused to check a handheld tracking unit. "Any sign?"One of the mercenaries shook his head, shifting his weight against hi