2025-08-07 02:56:48
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Chapter 205As we stood before the Warden, who was the only thing standing between me and my girlfriend. I felt like I should charge forward, but then I knew it was going to be stupid of me, or probably be my death. The Warden stood with reassurance, and that scared the shit out of me. The Warden’s voice rolled through the corridor like distant thunder, low and vibrating in my bones. Every instinct screamed at me to move, but my legs felt rooted to the spot.Elira’s hand inched toward her blade. Park stepped forward, squaring his shoulders. The dim light from a flickering bulb above cast our shadows across the Warden’s frame, making him seem even larger.Silas’s breath hitched beside me. “That’s him,” he whispered, his voice tight with remembered terror.“ Looks like you came back with the company.” The Warden tilted his head slightly, as if examining a particularly interesting insect. “Three intruders… and a rat who knows the way in.” His gaze lingered on Silas, and I felt the bo
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Chapter 204Silas tapped his finger against a darkened section of the map, a patch of land tucked near the city’s industrial outskirts.“If they’re back, and if they’re hunting keys… they’ll be somewhere people don’t go. Places forgotten.” His voice was low, almost a whisper, as though speaking the words aloud might draw the Hollow Guard straight to us.I leaned closer, my gaze darting over the map like I recognised it. My gaze caught a section of it, and my hand landed on a spot. “That’s an abandoned factory district. It’s been sealed off for years.”Elira didn’t look convinced. “Sealed off from civilians, maybe. Not from the Guard. They like isolation. It’s easier to break people without the sound carrying.”The idea of Zee alone in a place like that made my stomach churn. I clenched my jaw and studied Silas. “And you’re sure?”He shrugged. “I’m not sure of anything except that if she’s still alive, they’re using her. Either as bait… or to drain her.”Park’s hands curled into fists
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Chapter 203 The boy’s trembling hand brushed dirt from his cheek, his black hair matted from sweat and fear. He was younger than I’d thought—maybe sixteen at most—but his eyes carried something that made him look decades older.“What’s your name?” I asked, still trying to shake off the sharp edge of anger in my voice.“Silas,” he muttered, glancing between me, Park, and Elira like he was deciding whether to bolt or trust us. “And I’ll help you. But you need to understand something… the people who took your friend? They’re not the same ones you’ve been fighting.”That made me pause. “Not the same? Then who—”I ran my hands through my hair. Who are these people, and what do they want?“They’re worse,” he cut in, swallowing hard. “They’re called the Hollow Guard. They’re hunters… but not like normal hunters. They don’t just track powers—they feed on them.”Elira’s head snapped toward him. “The Hollow Guard hasn’t been active in years. If they’re back—”“They are,” Silas said quickly, hi
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Chapter 202Void. Emptiness.Call it whatever name you want to call it, that was what I felt when Zee was taken. It felt like a part of me was stolen. Park was scared to talk to me, or maybe he felt what I was feeling, too. The weight of Zee’s absence hit like a punch to the gut. I could still hear her scream in my head, and it wouldn’t stop replaying. My breathing grew ragged, every inhale sharp, every exhale heavier.Park staggered toward the trees, his hands curling into fists. “I’m going after them—”“You’ll die in the first thirty seconds,” Elira snapped, grabbing his arm. “That’s not bravery, Park. That’s stupidity.”His eyes flashed dangerously. “She’s like a sister to me. Do you think I am going to stand and watch while she is being used like a guinea pig?!”“They won't kill her because they need her,” Elira said sharply, her gaze cutting between us. “For now. But if you charge after them without a plan, you’ll be handing them exactly what they want—two keys instead of one.
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Chapter 201 Everything was happening too fast for me. The order of the world was changing, and I was the only one who could do something about it. And not to mention those who were now hunting us. Park, Zee, and his sister need to be guarded. They needed to be safe, and as for Park, I needed to find a way to heal him. I was outside the cabin trying to get some fresh air. We have been running for days now. I was not sure if it was the right thing to do but Elira said we need to for now. I was not a coward. I took down Nathan and made sure Edwin ended up in prison. It kind of feels odd trying to escape from everything now. “ You need to let her go,” a voice said from behind me. I turned, and I saw it was Park. “ I can't do that, and you know it. Zee means the world to me.” “ Oh really? Do I need to remind you that we are in a real war now? A world where we don't even know the weakness of our enemies. They went straight for her. She would have died if that strange shadow had not
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Chapter 200Ten…The molten glow in his eyes seemed to burn hotter with every step. Smoke curled from the cracks in his armor, but his grip on the situation was absolute, like a predator playing with prey.Nine…Zee’s wide, tear-filled eyes locked on mine. Her lips trembled, forming my name without sound. The other figure’s blade pressed harder against her skin, a thin line of crimson welling against the silver edge.Eight…My mind spun. Attacking meant risking Zee’s life. Surrendering meant sealing my fate—and maybe hers too. Park swayed on his feet, still dazed, his hands curling into fists even though I could see he could barely stand.Seven…Elira’s hand clamped on my arm, her nails digging in. “Adrian, listen to me—these things don’t bluff. You attack, they kill her. You surrender, they take you to the Veil, and no one ever comes back.”Six…“What do you want me to do, Elira?!” I hissed. “Stand here and watch her die?” My voice cracked despite my effort to keep it steady.Five…
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