2026-05-17 14:06:30
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
THE SON WHO CHOSE FIRE
Darius Herold did not answer his father immediately.The command office stayed silent around him. His officers stood frozen near the walls, pretending not to listen while hearing every word. On the screens behind him, Verdanis burned with panic, but Darius’s eyes remained fixed on the tablet.“Do not let Ethan Xavier poison your mind,” Darius said at last. “You are Marcus Herold. You should know better than to repeat his fear.”Marcus stared at him through the screen. “I am not repeating Ethan’s fear. I am speaking from experience.”Marcus had commanded armies long before Darius ever wore a uniform. He had seen cities burn, governments collapse, and ambitious men destroy everything they claimed to love. Experience had taught him one painful lesson. The most dangerous leader was not the weak one. It was the desperate one.“No,” Darius said. “You are speaking from captivity.”Marcus’s jaw tightened.Darius leaned forward. “Thunderfall is not madness. It is the final proof that Herold po
THE FATHER’S QUESTION
Darius Herold stared at his personal assistant as if the man had brought a ghost into the room.“Your father, Marcus Herold,” the assistant repeated carefully.The command office became painfully quiet. The screens on the wall still showed crowded highways, foreign warnings, refugee movement, and news anchors discussing Project Thunderfall with fear in their eyes. Yet none of that held Darius’s attention now.He placed the secure telephone down slowly.“Put him on,” Darius said.The assistant nodded quickly. “Yes, General.”He set the communication tablet on the table before Darius and entered the access code. A loading symbol appeared on the screen. Around the room, officers lowered their voices and stepped back. Nobody wanted to seem too interested, but everyone wanted to hear.The screen flickered once.Then Marcus Herold appeared.He sat inside a controlled chamber, dressed in prison clothing, but his posture was still straight. His grey hair was neat. His face looked older than D
PANIC ACROSS VERDANIS
By the next morning, the secret was no longer a secret.Somewhere between military channels, frightened officials, intelligence leaks, and civilian rumor networks, the news escaped containment.Project Thunderfall was now being discussed across Verdanis.Nobody knew the full truth. Nobody knew how many nuclear weapons existed within Heroldian command. Nobody knew whether Darius Herold truly intended to use them.But people no longer cared about certainty.Fear moved faster than facts.Across the capital and every major city still standing, television networks interrupted regular broadcasts. Radio stations abandoned scheduled programming. Emergency analysts, retired military officers, and political commentators filled the airwaves with speculation.The words nuclear weapons became impossible to escape.Inside a crowded café in Avalora, dozens of civilians stood around a television screen."What if it is true?""It has to be true. Why would foreign governments react otherwise?""My brot
THE OTHER SIDE OF ETHAN XAVIER
Marcus Herold’s fingers remained tight around the cover of Empire of Ashes and Kings.“What exactly has my son done?” he asked.Ethan did not answer immediately. He watched Marcus carefully, studying the old commander’s face. The man still carried pride, even in prison clothing. His body was locked inside the Tribunal Correctional Centre, but his mind had not surrendered.“Your son has activated a nuclear project codenamed project Thunderfall,” Ethan said.Marcus stared at him.The confidence on Marcus's face weakened slightly.Not because he believed Ethan immediately.But because Ethan was not a man known for inventing stories.If he had walked into a high-security prison to discuss Darius, then something serious had already happened.Marcus felt the first unpleasant stirrings of doubt.Lorne remained near the door, silent but tense.Ethan continued, “He intends to use nuclear weapons against Tribunal positions because he is losing the civil war.”Marcus blinked once, then leaned ba
LEGACY AT THE EDGE OF COLLAPSE
The next day, Ethan Xavier walked into the Tribunal Correctional Centre with only one goal in mind.The facility was colder than most military buildings. Its corridors were made of thick concrete, black steel, and reinforced glass. Armed Tribunal guards stood at every checkpoint, watching prisoners through silent doors and security screens.Brigadier General Lorne walked beside Ethan, still tense from the news of Thunderfall.“This place is quieter than I expected,” Lorne said.“That is because the dangerous men here already know noise changes nothing,” Ethan replied.They passed several cells. Some held civil prisoners. Others held captured Herold officers and prisoners of war. None of them spoke loudly when Ethan passed. A few lowered their eyes. Others watched him with hate they were too powerless to act on.At the end of the corridor stood a huge iron door.The warden, a stern man with grey hair, stepped forward and bowed slightly. “Master Ethan.”“Open it,” Ethan said.The warden
A NATION ONE STEP FROM FIRE
“What the hell!”Ethan’s voice cut through the office, sharp and low. He stared at the tablet on his desk as if the information on it had insulted reason itself. For a moment, the completed oil deal, the business files, and the quiet satisfaction from his victory over Dale Truman all disappeared from his mind.Brigadier General Lorne stood before him, breathing hard. “Master Ethan, I know how it sounds.”“No,” Ethan said, lifting his eyes. “This is not supposed to be possible. Darius Herold knows the risks. His commanders know the risks. Even his engineers should know the risks of involving nuclear weapons in this civil war.”“They may know, sir,” Lorne replied. “That does not mean he is listening.”Ethan leaned back slowly, then stood. His chair moved against the floor with a soft scrape. “If Darius launches even one nuclear warhead, this civil war stops being Verdanis’s problem alone. Foreign powers will interfere. Neighboring states will panic. Markets will collapse. Refugees will
You may also like
Revenge Of The Rejected Son-in-law
Teddy155.3K viewsThe Charismatic Charlie Wade
Lord Leaf64.6M viewsTHE SECRET HEIR AND HIS SECRET POWER
Wednesday Adaire169.6K viewsTHE UNDERESTIMATED HEIR
Victor Amos Regannez75.0K viewsThe Grand Warlord’s Accidental Marriage
Rex Magnus230 viewsTRASH HUSBAND TO TRILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND
Flaming pen183 viewsThe 900 Billion Dollar Heir
Raegan 549 viewsThe Househusband Was a Hidden Monarch
Maryam Alabi 1.0K views