LOGIN"I can control people's minds."Eli stood in the middle of the training room, his hands shaking, his heart pounding. Cove stood across from him, his face pale, his eyes wide."What did you just say?""I can control people's minds. With sound. With frequencies. I can make them feel things. Do things. I can trigger their emotions. Their memories. Their fears.""That's not possible.""It is possible. I just did it.""What do you mean?""I was practicing. With the guards. I was trying to focus. To control my abilities. And then I heard it. A frequency. A hum. And I followed it. And I found that I could... push. And they responded.""Responded how?""One of them started crying. Another one started laughing. Another one just stood there. Frozen. Like he was waiting for a command."C
"I can hear everything."Eli sat up in the hospital bed. His eyes were wide. His hands were shaking. But not from fear. From something else. Something new."What do you mean, everything?" Cove asked."Everything. The machines. The lights. The heartbeat of the nurse down the hall. The footsteps of the guard on the roof. Everything."Dr. Vasquez stepped closer. She shined a light in his eyes. She checked his pulse. She frowned."Your senses are heightened. All of them. Sight. Hearing. Smell. Touch. Taste.""Why?""The marrow. It's not just curing the disorder. It's enhancing your natural abilities. Making you stronger. Faster. More aware.""Am I still human?""Yes. But you're not the same human you were before."Eli looked at Cove. His eyes were wet."I'm sc
"You might die on this table."Eli looked at Dr. Vasquez. Her face was pale. Her hands were steady. Her eyes were honest."I know.""Your body is weak. The procedure is risky. Your heart might not survive the strain.""I know.""You could bleed out. You could have a stroke. You could slip into a coma and never wake up.""I know.""And you still want to do this?"Eli looked at Cove. Cove was standing by the door. His face was pale. His eyes were red. He looked like he hadn't slept in days."I want to live," Eli said.Dr. Vasquez nodded. She looked at Cove."And you? Do you consent to this?"Cove's voice was barely a whisper. "I don't have a choice.""You always have a choice.""Not this time."
"Kill him."Eli stared at the man tied to the chair. He was young. Maybe twenty five. Maybe younger. His face was bruised. His eyes were wide with fear."Who is he?""Does it matter?""Yes.""He's a rival. A Bratva operative. He's been feeding information to the five families. He's a traitor.""So you want me to kill him?""I want you to prove your loyalty."Eli's heart was pounding. His hands were shaking. He looked at the man. The man looked back at him. His eyes were pleading."Please," the man whispered. "I have a family. A daughter. She's only three. Please."Eli's stomach turned. He looked at Adrian."I can't.""You can.""I won't.""Then you're not loyal.""I'm not a
"You're late."Eli stepped into the old warehouse, his heart pounding, his face calm. Adrian stood in the center of the room, arms crossed, eyes sharp."I'm not late. You're early.""I'm always early. It's the only way to stay ahead."Eli walked past him. He set his laptop on the table. He opened it."What do you want?""Progress. I want to know what you've found."Eli pulled up the files. Names. Accounts. Safe houses. Everything Adrian had asked for."The five families are scrambling. They're hiding. They're scared. They're making mistakes.""Good. What else?""I found a weakness. In their communication systems. I can shut them down. Completely."Adrian leaned closer. His eyes were gleaming."How?""I can upload a
"You made a deal with him. Without me."Eli stood in the hospital room, his body still weak, his mind still racing. Cove stood across from him, his face pale, his eyes blazing."I made a deal for us. For our future.""You made a deal with the devil.""I made a deal with my brother.""Same thing."Eli flinched. "That's not fair.""None of this is fair." Cove stepped closer. His voice was ice. "You went behind my back. You agreed to help him. You didn't even ask me.""I didn't have time.""You didn't make time.""You were scared. You would have tried to stop me.""Damn right I would have.""See? That's why I didn't tell you."Cove grabbed his shoulders. His grip was tight. Desperate."You can't d
Cove’s eyes were dark with want. “It’s the only answer you’re getting tonight.”Eli stared at him, lips still tingling from the rough kiss. His heart was beating way too fast.“Get off me,” Eli said,
Cove’s grip on Eli’s jaw stayed firm, their faces so close that Eli could feel the other man’s steady breath against his skin. The wall pressed cold and hard into Eli’s back.“You’ve got a mouth on you,” Cove said quietl
Cove leaned back in his chair, watching Eli with those sharp gray eyes. The breakfast tray sat between them like some twisted peace offering. Eli picked up the fork but didn’t eat. He wasn’t about to play along that easily.“These rules,”
Eli woke to sunlight.For one disorienting moment, he thought the entire nightmare had been just that a nightmare. But the ache in his wrists, the soreness in his shoulders, and the faint bruises blooming across his skin told a different story. He bolted upright in the massive bed, heart hammering,







