2025-05-06 06:17:44The murmurs in the crowd grew louder as the man’s voice echoed through the grand entrance of the banquet hall. The security guard stiffened, exchanging a quick glance with his colleague before speaking into his earpiece.
“Copy that. Initiating system reboot.” Sierra’s confident smirk faltered as a second guard approached her and Marcus. “Miss Sierra, Mr. Marcus—we’ll need you to step aside for a moment while we refresh the guest registry.” “What?!” Sierra snapped, clearly affronted. “Are you serious? I already got in! My name was verified!” “I understand, ma’am, but we’ve been instructed to re-check all entries due to a last-minute update from Nova’s director’s office. It’ll only take a minute.” Alice folded her arms calmly, her expression slowly regaining composure as Sierra and Marcus were gently ushered aside like everyone else. Ethan took out his phone and tapped rapidly. Seconds later, the man in the suit, now clearly identified as one of Nova’s executive assistants, stepped toward them briskly, holding a tablet. His eyes scanned the crowd before settling on Alice and Ethan. “There you are,” he said with relief. “Miss Morgan, Mr. Storm—our sincerest apologies. Your names were just added directly by Director Logan herself. The update didn’t sync in time.” Sierra’s jaw dropped. “You’re—what?” The assistant didn’t even glance her way. He addressed the security guard instead. “Register them immediately. VIP status. They even have a VIP badge. Escort them inside personally.” “Yes, sir.” Sierra looked like she’d swallowed a lemon. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Marcus just gawked. Alice turned to Sierra, her voice honeyed with satisfaction. “Looks like my knees are safe tonight.” The crowd, sensing the shift in power, began whispering excitedly. Some even chuckled. Sierra tried to salvage her pride. “T-this doesn’t prove anything! You were just lucky—” Alice held up a finger. “A bet’s a bet, Sierra. You challenged me. You mocked me. And now, well…” She tilted her head toward the ground. “Time to pay up.” Sierra flushed scarlet, her hands clenched into fists. “Forget it,” Marcus hissed. “This is ridiculous.” But the murmurs around them were growing. Several people were filming now. Alice’s tone dropped, low and dangerous. “Walk away if you want, Sierra. But everyone here will know exactly what that means.” Sierra trembled in rage, but she couldn’t move. She stood there, paralyzed—neither kneeling nor retreating. The assistant turned politely to Alice again. “Shall I escort you in now, Miss Morgan?” Alice offered a dazzling smile, slipping her hand into Ethan’s. “Please do.” As they walked past Sierra and Marcus, Alice paused for a second and whispered just loud enough, “You were right about one thing, Sierra. Ethan and I are perfect for each other.” Ethan leaned down, adding in a deadly murmur, “Next time you laugh at her, make sure you’re not the punchline.” With that, they entered the grand Nova banquet hall, leaving Sierra humiliated, her bet lost, and her pride in pieces. And the night had only just begun.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
701
Ethan caught him before he fell.For once, Malikar did not resist.He simply looked tired.“You…”A weak laugh escaped him.“You really did it.”Ethan looked at him.“Why?”Malikar looked up.His eyes were calm.“You finally became someone…”His breathing became weaker.“…who doesn’t need Cael.”Ethan’s expression changed.“Why?”Malikar closed his eyes slowly.The faintest smile remained.“Because…”A pause.“That was the only way…”“To surpass him.”The ancient laboratory became silent.The last flames of Blackwater faded.And beneath the ruins of a forgotten city, the man who had spent centuries searching for the answer finally found it.Ethan Storm was not Cael reborn.Not a copy.Not a vessel.He was something even Cael could never become.Someone who chose his own path.***The silence after Malikar’s death was heavier than the battle itself.The ancient laboratory no longer shook.The black flames that had consumed the battlefield slowly faded away, leaving only broken stone an
700
The ancient laboratory trembled violently around them.The awakening of the C.A.E.L. system had not stopped.Deep beneath Blackwater City, something enormous was beginning to stir.Ancient mechanisms that had been silent for centuries started moving again. The twelve symbols carved into the floor burned brighter, releasing waves of energy that made the entire underground settlement shake.Ethan looked at the formation beneath his feet.Then he looked back at Malikar.“You knew this would happen.”Malikar stood in the center of the chamber, surrounded by black flames that moved like living creatures.“Yes.”Ethan’s expression hardened.“You brought me here because you needed my power.”Malikar did not deny it.“I needed you to recover.”A pause.“Only you can destroy the final seal protecting C.A.E.L.”The words echoed.Ethan’s eyes narrowed.“The final seal.”Malikar nodded.“The seal was created from Cael’s original resonance. No ordinary person can break it.”“Not the Watson family.
699
The ancient laboratory continued shaking.The old mechanisms buried beneath Blackwater City awakened one after another, releasing waves of energy that had remained dormant for centuries.The symbols carved into the walls burned brighter.The air became heavier.Even Ethan, whose strength had finally returned, could feel it.Something beneath them was waiting.Something ancient.Something connected to C.A.E.L.He turned toward Malikar.“What did you activate?”For a moment, Malikar said nothing.Then he looked at Ethan with an expression that was almost peaceful.“The final stage.”Ethan’s eyes narrowed.“You knew.”“Yes.”“You knew this laboratory would react when I recovered my strength.”“Yes.”“You knew the antidote would restore my resonance.”Malikar nodded.“Yes.”The realization settled heavily.Ethan’s expression became colder.“You planned everything.”Malikar did not deny it.“I needed you to become complete.”A pause.“Not because I wanted to save you.”“Because I needed yo
698
The battle continued beneath the ruins of Blackwater City.But something had changed.Ethan no longer fought blindly.He stopped chasing Malikar’s movements and started observing.Every attack.Every alchemical formation.Every change in the battlefield.Malikar was not simply fighting him.He was guiding him.Every time Ethan was pushed back, Malikar forced him toward a specific direction.Every time the battlefield changed, certain paths remained open.At first, Ethan thought it was coincidence.Then he saw it.A barely visible alchemical mark carved beneath the rubble.A symbol.One he had seen before.Not in Malikar’s techniques.Not in demon records.In Harry’s journals.Ethan’s eyes narrowed.“Harry…”Malikar noticed his expression.But he said nothing.Ethan ignored the next attack completely.Instead of confronting the enemy in front of him, he turned toward the ruined structure behind him.The copies of his former opponents followed.Malikar’s expression changed slightly.“Yo
697
The words remained hanging in the air.Ethan was always meant to exist.For several seconds, neither man moved.The ancient chamber beneath the demon settlement was completely silent.Ethan stared at Malikar, trying to separate truth from manipulation.After everything he had learned, he no longer knew what was real.His creation.His memories.His connection to Cael.The Twelve Keys.Everything had become a puzzle with missing pieces.Then Ethan extended his hand.“Give me the antidote.”Malikar did not move.The answer was obvious from his expression.“No.”The atmosphere changed instantly.Ethan’s eyes became colder.“You still refuse?”“Yes.”“You poisoned me.”“Yes.”“You know how to save me.”“Yes.”A dangerous silence followed.Ethan stepped forward.“Then you are choosing this.”Malikar looked at him calmly.“I am choosing what must happen.”Ethan’s aura flickered weakly.“You don’t get to decide that.”Malikar’s expression did not change.“Actually…”A faint smile appeared.“
696
The entire settlement fell silent.The ancient symbols carved into the walls continued glowing, casting a faint silver and crimson light across the underground city.The demons who had been watching from a distance no longer looked curious.They looked afraid.Because they knew.Whatever Malikar was about to reveal was something even their ancestors had tried to bury.Ethan stood opposite him, his weakened resonance barely stable, but his eyes remained sharp.He refused to show weakness.Not in front of Malikar.Not in front of anyone.“Enough games.”His voice echoed through the chamber.“You brought me here because you wanted me to know the truth.”“Then tell me.”Malikar looked at him for several seconds.Then he slowly walked toward the center of the room.“The truth is that everything you believe about the past is incomplete.”Ethan frowned.“Explain.”Malikar glanced toward the ancient artifacts surrounding them.“For thousands of years, the Storm family and the Watson family we
You may also like
Return of the Powerful Young Master
AFM3190.8K viewsRevenge Of The Rejected Heir
Beautypete98.6K viewsRise Of The Supreme General
Anakin Detour108.1K viewsBillionaire in Disguise
Faith126.4K viewsI Was a Nobody Until I Inherited Billions
Oking108 viewsThe Three-Second Rule: My Death Game System
Victor Sterling101 viewsAWAKENED INTO GODLIKE
Clevee62 viewsDear Ex-wife, the Apocalypse King Has No Mercy
Inkspill196 views
Reader Comments
I feel like. 12 year old is writing this