RETURN OF THE VENGEFUL GOD OF WAR

Adrian Kane stood before three graves. His father, his mother's, and his sister's.

Ten years had passed, but the ache in his heart caused by their demise had not dulled. If anything, it sharpened, cutting through his every breath.

 He could still hear their voices, still see the fire devouring everything they had built that night. And he would have ended up like them too now, a slab of rock and degenerating heart.. 

A stranger passing by saved his life that night.

Adrain breathed slowly, his jaw tightening despite his failed attempt to school his rage. His clenched hands trembled by his side.

“The Jade family. The Bert clan. The Plit clan. You thought my family's blood would vanish here.” They were responsible for the propaganda to end his family while they enjoyed the wealth that they had worked for, walking through the streets scout free.

 His fists clenched until his knuckles whitened, enough to draw out blood. “I’ll drag every one of you down. That’s my vow.”

The words hung in the cold air, a promise carved as deep as the stone in front of him.

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At the graveyard gates, convoys stretched in formation. Soldiers stood at rigid attention, boots clicking in perfect unison. At their center, Commander Rylan waited, together with Adrain's trusted assistant. 

The most feared military man in Hillcrest, chief Commander of the Crest army,his name is enough to silence entire rooms of politicians and instill fear into the heart of erring children. 

But today, even he lowered his head deeply with respect. 

He strode forward like a little child and quickly bowed with a worshipping bow.

He quivers, counting his words dreadfully. Adrain was the Shadow Monarch, and getting him angry was enough to plug Hillcrest off from the map. “Shadow Monarch, Supreme Commander of the Eastern Front Hillcrest; welcome you home!”

The rows of soldiers echoed as one:

“Welcome, Monarch!”

Ten years ago, Adrian had been nothing more than a survivor from the fire incident. With no family and brewing enemies, enrolling in the military was his last resort.

The wars and the discipline forged him. And through sheer dedication, he rose through ranks, feared and worshipped. Entire armies had fallen at his word. Enemies who terrified nations broke under his command. He had returned not as an orphan, but as the Shadow Monarch. A title only one other person in history had earned, over a thousand years ago.

The commander quickly opened the Bentley door for Adrain to step into the car, while his assistant drove with multiple bows.

Inside the car, the atmosphere was heavy. His men shifted uneasily at the weight of his suppressing presence.

"Any Intel about her?" Adrain finally said.

“Shadow Monarch, we’ve confirmed the reports. The girl who saved you that night… She's alive. And her name is Elara!"

Adrian’s gaze instantly spiked and his attention piqued.

“She suffered severe burns. Her face, her body… and she hasn’t walked since. The Halt family took her in a few months ago, but…” The man’s jaw tightened. “They treat her as a disgrace. Worse than a servant. They’ve been using her to entertain their guests.”

Adrain's being trembled with rage. Sweat dripped from his assistant's head like beads. He had never seen the Shadow Monarch so agitated before.

"And the JBP family?" Adrain inquired of his parents' murderers further.

"They are currently spreading their influence through every thick and thin of the city, from drugs to industry." Adrain's jaw clenched further.

After a long pause, his assistant dared to say. "My Leige, this; this is beneath you, just say the words and we will!"

"No!" Adrain cuts through his words before he is done. "This's a personal matter and I will not entertain her form of interference!" His voice remained calm but carried an explosive energy.

"I will do this alone. And watch those murderers crumble with sweet satisfaction."

"Yes my liege!" The soldier bowed.

Meanwhile, the Hart Family estate blazed with light that night. Guests filled the grand hall, silk gowns and tailored suits brushing against marble floors. Laughter rang loud, fueled by fine wine and arrogance. The city’s elite gathered here, flaunting wealth and power at Mr. Han's birthday celebration.

On the stage, the spotlight shined on a lady, the object of the vicious jest coming from the rich audiences.

Elara.

Once, she had been Hillcrest’s pride. The girl whose beauty drew envy and admiration alike until the incident that scared her face. And now, she's veiled and broken, the hideousness of her looks an entertainment for the wealthy.

Bundles of money were hurled at her feet as the crowd mocked.

“Lift your veil!” someone shouted, half-drunk.

“Show us what you’ve been hiding!” another mocked. “Didn’t we pay for it?”

Elara trembled. Her fingers clutched the thin fabric covering her scars. Every laugh, every cruel word pressed heavier against her chest and emotions twisted into tears twisted into her eyes.

"Pathetic!" A chubby youth from the VIP section spat angrily, stomping onto the stage. He grabbed her by the hair, yanking her backwards with disdain.

"B**tard! You're here to entertain us and not hide!" He ripped her vile while she tried to struggle but his iron grip was too strong against her feminine hands.

The crowd broke into applause.

Then... Snap.

Adrain who had being watched from the rare appeared.

A force tore right through his wrist and bent it in the wrong way that instantly silenced the crowd.

The chubby youth shirked, the initial pain boiling through his body as he glared hard at Adrian through the subsiding pain.

"Who dares.."

Adrain face was stale, pressing deep into Han's gaze like a stab

"I do and here's a tip for free!"

Adrain squeezed deeper, the pain tearing through every corner of the youth's body as he groveled with pain. The crowd gasped in shock.

"If you are going to call someone, 'monster!' you should not act like one first."

The crowd remained frozen in awe and disbelief. No one dared to move. Nobody spoke. 

For the first time in ten years, someone dared to go against the heir of one of the most powerful families in the city.