2025-10-20 06:30:23Leo was just as surprised to see Elena and Adrian in the Briggs Corp waiting area. His face turned cold. "You flatter yourself," he said to Elena. "I don't know what's giving you the notion that you're the reason I'm here but I'm not here for you. I was invited."
Adrian let out a mocking laugh. "Invited? By who? Did Briggs Corp's security department need a consultant? I suppose a rapist would know a thing or two about keeping the peace. Is that why you're so popular here?"
Leo ignored the insult and tried to walk past them toward the executive hallway. But Adrian moved quickly, grabbing Leo firmly by the arm. "Don't be in such a hurry, convict," Adrian sneered. "Think about it. The ex-husband of a CEO working as a security guard? If the media found out, it would hurt Elena's reputation. That's just pathetic." He pulled a bank card from his wallet and slapped it against Leo's cheek. "Here's a better idea. I'll give you a welfare allowance every month. A little charity. All you have to do is disappear and stop embarrassing everyone. Evwn your presence here is already a nuisance. Hide your face, will you?"
A hot wave of anger rushed through Leo. But he pushed it down. Causing a scene wasn't his goal. Instead of pulling away with force, he made a small, precise movement with his wrist, twisting it in a way that targeted a pressure point in Adrian's grip. Adrian gasped in sudden pain and his fingers sprang open, releasing Leo's arm.
Elena's eyes widened. "How dare you! Security!" she started to call out, but Adrian stopped her, clutching his sore hand.
"Quiet!" Adrian hissed. "This is Briggs Corp. Don't make a scene and ruin our chances." He turned his furious gaze back to Leo. "I'll remember this. You'll pay for this double. I never make threats but when I do, I make sure I keep them."
Leo ignored him completely. He looked directly at Elena, a final, cold question in his eyes. "Do you really have to be this heartless?"
Elena only sneered. "What are you going to do about it? Its up to me how I want to treat you and this is how I choose to treat you."
"Then it's over," Leo stated, his voice flat. "There's nothing left between us now. And I mean it Elena. There won't be a second chance."
The irritation was visible on her face as she spoke. "You have nothing! Absolutely nothing to offer me."
At that moment, a flustered secretary in a sharp suit hurried out of the executive offices. She rushed to the reception desk. "Where is he? The guest here to see Ms. Briggs? He's an extremely important VIP and cannot be kept waiting!"
The receptionist pointed toward the waiting area. The secretary's eyes followed the gesture.
Elena’s face lit up. She turned to Adrian, excited. "They're coming for you! The cooperation must be confirmed! I knew it!" she whispered.
Adrian was puzzled. Chloe Briggs had always looked down on his playboy reputation and considered his family's business inferior. Why the sudden respect? But he had checked her schedule himself. She had a charity gala tonight and no other daytime appointments. It certainly couldn't be for the ex-convict, Leo. He puffed out his chest, deciding she must have finally recognized his family's true influence. It was only a matter of time, he thought.
Emboldened by Adrian's confident silence, Elena stepped forward to greet the secretary. "Hello! We're so grateful for Ms. Briggs's regard. We also value this potential cooperation very highly," she said, her voice sickly sweet.
The secretary was startled to see Adrian and Elena. Her instructions were clear: the important person was highly capable and needed careful attention. She knew both of them, and Adrian had been repeatedly refused for partnerships due to his company's lack of strength. But besides them, the only other person in the waiting area was the very ordinary-looking man in simple clothes. The important guest Ms. Briggs described absolutely could not be him. Though it felt wrong, the secretary gestured toward the VIP room. "Right this way, please."
Just as they began to move, Leo spoke, his voice clear and firm, causing everyone to freeze.
"Secretary," he said, frowning slightly. "You've made a mistake. I am the invited guest."
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The year passed quietly, like a river moving through land. Some days felt slow, stretching long and peaceful. Other days slipped by so fast that no one noticed until they were gone. Life did not stop, but it softened. It became something easier to hold.The house changed little by little. It no longer felt like a place that had seen too much pain. It became warm again. Alive.New paintings went up on the walls. Some were simple, just colors and shapes, but others held memories—places they had been, things they had seen. Chloe picked most of them, saying the house needed light.Outside, the yard slowly turned into something beautiful. Bella started a small garden at first, nothing serious. Just a few herbs and flowers. But over time, it grew. Iden took over the care of it, waking early to water the plants, checking the soil, trimming what needed trimming. The garden spread across the yard, filling empty spaces with green life.It felt like healing. Like something broken had been gently
That was for another time
The sun felt warm on Leo’s face, and for a moment he didn’t move. He just lay there, eyes closed, letting the warmth sink into his skin. It felt strange in a good way. For so long, all he had known was darkness—cold caves, endless tunnels, and that terrible black space inside the Origin. Now there was only light. Real light.Slowly, he opened his eyes.Above him was a wide blue sky, clear and endless. A few soft clouds drifted lazily, and the branches of tall trees swayed gently around him. He could hear birds somewhere nearby, their songs soft and calm, like the world was trying to remind him that everything was okay now.Leo pushed himself up. The ground beneath his hands was grass—real grass, cool and slightly damp. He looked down at it for a moment, almost surprised that it was there.Then he turned his head.Chloe was lying beside him.Her hair was spread out across the grass, and her face looked peaceful in a way he had not seen in a long time. For a second, he just watched her,
The world was safe
The child slowly lifted its head.At first, nothing seemed different. It still looked small. Still looked weak. Still looked like something that had been hurt for a very long time.But then… its face began to change. The tears stopped. Its breathing slowed. Its eyes, which had been full of pain, became clear. Cold. Watching.Something else was looking out now. Something old. Something that had been waiting for a very long time.“You are different,” it said.The voice was no longer soft. It was not a child’s voice anymore.It sounded deep. Heavy. Like many voices speaking at once.It sounded like pain. Like death. Like everything that had ever suffered.Leo did not move. His hand was still resting gently on the child’s face.“The others who came before you…” the Origin continued, “they all wanted the same thing. Power. Life. Control. They wanted to live forever.”It tilted its head slightly, studying him.“But you… you want something else.”Leo swallowed, but his voice stayed steady.“
Leo is alone
The Heart Chamber did not stay quiet for long.The moment they stepped fully inside, everything changed.Darkness burst out from the massive black heart in the center of the chamber. It didn’t just spread—it rushed forward like a flood breaking through a wall. Shadows poured out in waves, thick and heavy, filling the space around them.Those shadows did not stay as shadows.They began to take shape.Some looked like twisted animals with too many legs. Others stood like humans, but their bodies were wrong, stretched in ways that made no sense. A few had faces—but no eyes, no mouths, just smooth, empty skin. And then there were the hands. So many hands. Reaching. Grabbing. Clawing at the air like they were desperate to touch something alive.Leo stepped forward without thinking.Fire burst from his hands, bright and hot against the dark.“Now!” he shouted.The Dragonlords moved together.Eldrin’s blue fire cut through the shadows like a blade. It burned colder than Leo’s, but sharper, m
And it was waiting
The tunnel seemed endless, stretching down into the earth like it had no bottom. The walls were made of rough stone, wet in places, and the air felt heavy and cold in the lungs. Every breath took effort. The only light came from Leo’s glowing hands and the soft shine of the small stone resting against Bella’s chest. Without them, the darkness would have swallowed everything whole.They had been walking for a long time. Hours, maybe even days. Down here, time didn’t feel normal. There was no sun, no sky—just the same endless path and the quiet echo of their footsteps.Eldrin walked in front, his blue fire steady and calm, lighting the way ahead. Kaelen stayed close to him, always ready for anything. Mira moved just above the ground, silent as a shadow. Tomas stayed in the middle, nervous, his eyes darting at every movement. Sera brought up the rear, watching over them, her glowing hands ready in case anyone got hurt.Leo felt it before anyone else.It started as a small pressure in his
Time had already begun to run out
The clearing behind the house no longer looked like a normal backyard. The grass was burned in some places, dark marks spreading in uneven circles. In other spots, faint traces of light still hung in the air, slowly fading after being used again and again. What used to be a quiet place had turned into a training ground.Six Dragonlords stood there now, forming a wide circle. Leo stood in the center, watching them, feeling the energy moving between them like something alive.Eldrin was the oldest among them, the one Leo had found in the mountains. His fire was different. It burned blue instead of red, cold instead of wild. Every movement he made was controlled, careful, like he had spent centuries learning how not to lose himself.Mira stood a few steps away, calm and focused. She had come from the desert, and the wind seemed to answer her without effort. She barely touched the ground when she moved. Sometimes it looked like she was floating, like gravity didn’t fully apply to her.Kae
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