2025-02-12 16:09:35Zach stared at Laura, stunned. The words she had spoken were like pieces of a puzzle that didn’t fit together. Leader of a powerful organization? Dominion Shadows? It all sounded absurd. His heart weighed heavily, burdened by the loss of his adoptive mother and the constant worry for his sister’s safety. He didn’t have the time or energy for elaborate stories.
“Look,” he said, his voice low and firm, “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I need to go somewhere urgently. If you think I’ll fall for this nonsense, you’re wasting your time.”
Laura’s calm demeanor didn’t waver. Instead, she reached into her tailored blazer and pulled out a sleek black card. The card gleamed under the overhead light, its surface embossed with intricate golden patterns and the unmistakable emblem of First Star Bank—the most prestigious financial institution in the city.
“This,” she said, holding it out to him, “is your supreme black card. It originally belonged to you.”
Zach hesitated before taking the card. Its weight was heavier than it looked, and the craftsmanship was unparalleled. His fingers traced the golden insignia, and he read the faint inscription at the bottom.
Laura held Zach’s gaze, her tone steady as she added, “The pin is your true birthday: September 27, 1998. The card holds a sustainable fortune you can manage for the meantime.”
Zach blinked, the date ringing oddly familiar yet foreign.
He scoffed, shaking his head. “Sustainable
fortune? What’s next? A secret kingdom in my name?”
“If you doubt me,” Laura replied evenly, “you can verify it at First Star Bank. Let them tell you if I’m lying.”
Her confidence gave him pause. Zach slipped the card into his pocket, his expression unreadable. “Fine,” he said after a moment. “I’ll check it out, but I don’t have time for this right now. I’m leaving.”
Laura stepped forward. “Then I’ll accompany you. It’s not safe for you to go alone—”
“No,” Zach interrupted sharply. “Go back wherever you came from. I don’t need you following me around.”
“But, Master—”
“Don’t call me that,” Zach snapped. “Just go.”
Laura hesitated, her posture stiff, but she finally relented and handed him her card.
“Please, call me if you need me. I'll be waiting.” Bowing her head slightly, she stepped back, her entourage flanking her as they exited the room.
Moments after Zach left, a nurse entered with a doctor in tow. “I swear, he was here!” she exclaimed, pointing to the steel table where Zach had been lying. “The man declared dead—he was breathing again. I saw it with my own eyes!”
The doctor frowned, examining the now-empty space. “This is extraordinary.
I examined that man. He sustained severe head injuries but he didn't just wake up from the dead, he got up and walked out of here. This has never happened before.”
“Doctor, I’m telling you, I’ve never seen anything like it,” the nurse said, her voice trembling. “It’s as if he defied death itself.”
Shaking his head in disbelief, the doctor sighed. “Well, he’s gone now. Notify security, and let’s keep this incident contained.”
As they left the room, the nurse passed a group of her colleagues whispering excitedly in the hallway.
“Did you see those luxury cars outside?” one of them asked, wide-eyed.
“Yes! They belong to that stunning woman who came in earlier,” another replied, her voice tinged with envy.
A male doctor overheard and smirked. “Whoever that man was, he must have been someone extraordinary to command such loyalty from a woman like her.”
The nurses exchanged glances, their imaginations running wild.
Meanwhile, Zach walked away from the hospital, his mind racing with unanswered questions and a growing sense that his life was about to change in ways he couldn’t yet comprehend.
Panting from the rush, Zach came to a full halt before his house but the sight of it left his mouth agape. The house burning.
His heart dropped as he approached the charred remains of his home. Blackened beams jutted out of the crumbling structure like skeletal fingers clawing at the sky. Smoke billowed, thick and acrid, stinging his eyes. Flames crackled menacingly, licking at the ruins. His chest tightened as he forced his way through the chaos, dodging falling embers and choking on the heat.
“Mother? Mary?” he shouted, his voice raw with desperation. The silence of the house haunted him, amplifying his dread. Frantically, he searched through the wreckage but found no trace of his adoptive mother’s body or his sister.
Suddenly, a muffled scream broke through the noise. “Let me go, please! Someone, help me!”
The sound shot through him like a bolt of electricity. Sprinting to the back of the house, he froze. Several men were trying to shove Mary into a black SUV. Her tear-streaked face twisted in terror as she fought them off.
“Mary!” Zach roared, his voice primal.
One of the men turned, sneering. “This idiot again!”
But something inside Zach snapped. A surge of power coursed through him, his muscles tensing like coiled steel. With a burst of speed, he slammed his hands onto the car’s hood. The vehicle screeched to a halt, the bonnet crumpling under his grip as if made of tin.
The men froze, their bravado dissolving into shock. Zach moved like a blur, yanking Mary free from their grip and shielding her behind him.
“Zach?” Mary whispered, trembling.
He didn’t answer, his glare locked on the men, daring them to make another move.
Their eyes darted to the massive indentations on the car’s bonnet. Zach’s own gaze flicked to his hands, disbelief mingling with the fury in his heart.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
~184~
Months passed, and Barbara’s birthday arrived. That evening, Zach threw a grand surprise party on the wide green lawns of his Villa, fairy lights twinkling like stars strung across the earth.Barbara gasped when she stepped into the lawn, her hand flying to her lips as dozens of voices shouted, “Surprise!” She turned sharply toward Athena, narrowing her eyes playfully.“You knew about this, didn’t you?” she accused.Athena only laughed and pulled her into a hug. “I didn’t want to ruin the surprise by dropping hints earlier!”Barbara chuckled softly, still overwhelmed. “Thanks, Aunt… this is a lot,” she said warmly before her gaze found Zach.Walking up to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You did all this?”“For you,” he whispered, his lips grazing her ear.Later into the night, Zach led Barbara to the center of the lawn, where the lights dimmed, and soft music began to play. He took her hands, his thumb brushing her knuckles tenderly.“The last six months,” he began, his vo
~183~
Zach’s entire world seemed to still.“My… what?” he choked, his voice almost inaudible.Athena’s tears spilled as she nodded, trembling as she cupped his face gently. “My son… my beautiful boy.”For the first time since he could remember, Zach smiled, broken, tentative, but real. He fell into her arms, wrapping her tightly as she sobbed against his shoulder.Nearby, Dawson stood frozen, guilt etched deep in his features. He stepped forward finally, his voice unsteady. “Athena… I… I’m so sorry. I should have protected you. I should have protected Logan too. I failed you both by not standing up against my father because I was a coward.”Athena looked up at him through tears, her voice soft but steady. “No. Lex was… a monster, Dawson. But you…” She paused, her voice trembling as she reached for his hand. “You weren’t. You were just… trapped.”Dawson lowered his head, overwhelmed by her forgiveness.The air outside was lighter now, as though the weight that had smothered them all for year
~182~
The ballroom had fallen into a quiet lull for Lex. Guests still laughed and chattered around him, but their voices were distant, muffled under the pounding of his heartbeat. His gaze flicked repeatedly to the grand staircase, where Dawson and Zach had disappeared minutes ago into one of the private rooms upstairs. Every tick of the ornate clock mounted on the wall stretched like eternity.Then, finally, his phone vibrated in his pocket.Lex fished it out hastily. On the screen, a message from Dawson glowed faintly:“It’s done.”Lex’s lips curved into a slow, satisfied smirk. Without wasting a second, he made his way upstairs. Each step was silent yet deliberate, his polished shoes grazing the velvet carpet as he approached the corridor leading to the rooms.When he entered, his gaze immediately fell on the sight before him.Zach lay sprawled across the bed, motionless, his chest unnaturally still. A shattered vase littered the marble floor, water seeping slowly into the rug, and a fai
~181~
Lex stumbled backward, his usually composed demeanor cracking like shattered glass. His breath hitched, and his sharp eyes darted around the crowded hall, scanning faces that blurred under the golden chandelier lights. Murmurs spread through the guests like ripples on disturbed water, confused whispers tangled with hushed gasps as everyone tried to make sense of his sudden reaction.Dawson’s brows knitted together, his gaze fixed on his father’s pale, frozen face. “Father?” he called softly, but Lex didn’t answer. Without a word, Lex turned and stormed out of the ballroom, his long strides cutting through the chaos as if the walls themselves might collapse if he stayed a second longer.Dawson hesitated for a heartbeat before following. Something in Lex’s expression, a raw, unfamiliar fear, had his stomach tightening.Upstairs, in the dimly lit expanse of his room, Lex paced back and forth like a caged beast. His breaths came harsh and uneven, and his hands shook slightly, clenching a
~ 180 ~
By dawn the following morning, Zach stood at the center of the dimly lit chamber, his gaze fixed on the unconscious figure lying on the bed, Grand Master Tom, his grandfather. Shadows danced across the stone walls as candle flames flickered, their golden glow glinting off the seven rare items carefully arranged before him on a small marble altar.The Nightshade Pearl, with its faint purple luminescence, lay beside the delicate Veilroot Herb, its translucent leaves veined with silvery streaks. The Heart of Solis pulsed faintly as though it carried life itself, while the Ashen Myrrh gave off a smoky scent that clung to the air. The Celestial Fang, a small shard rumored to be from a beast that hunted under starlight, rested beside the Obsidian Tear, which shimmered like trapped night. And finally, the Imperial Stone, ancient and engraved with runes, anchored the sacred set.Dr. Kieran, a man whose silver-streaked hair and weathered face spoke of decades of study in the mystical arts, bro
~ 179 ~
Rabiu attempted to escape through the side entrance, shoving past startled guests, but before he could make it far, Zach caught him by the collar and yanked him back with force.“You think you can mess with me and walk away?” Zach’s voice was low, dangerous.Rabiu stammered, “I-I know…”A sharp punch landed on his jaw, sending him stumbling against a parked car. Gasps erupted from the crowd.“Pathetic,” Zach spat, wiping his knuckles before stepping back.The tension was palpable, the heavy silence hanging between Zach, Rabiu, and Dafne like a sharp blade waiting to slice through the air. The ruined warehouse smelled of damp wood and metal, the faint crackle of fire from a broken lantern in the corner adding an eerie undertone. Shadows stretched across the floor, their shapes twisting under the dim light.Rabiu wiped the trickle of blood from the side of his mouth, his chest heaving as he spat on the ground. “I won’t succumb to you, Zach,” he said, his voice hoarse but laced with defi
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