ВойтиThe Cathedral of St. Jude was bathed in a light so pure it felt like a judgment. Today was the day of the Royal Investiture, the moment Leo Draven would officially become the Protector of the Realm. Thousands gathered outside, their cheers muffled by the thick, ancient stone walls, while the high
The weeks following the "Great Glitch"—as the official palace records called it—were the most delicate in the history of the realm. While the public celebrated a swift recovery of the kingdom’s infrastructure, the Draven estate became a high-security sanctuary for a population that didn't officially
The North Wing of the palace was a place of soft carpets and muted sunlight, designed to be a sanctuary for the future of the realm. But as the Dravens sprinted through the gilded corridors, it felt like a labyrinth of ice. The silence here was worse than the screaming of the machines in the High Co
The High Court chamber, usually a sanctuary of measured speech and ancient law, became a slaughterhouse of chrome and code. The grey smoke was so thick that the only things visible were the glowing blue optics of the Twelve Judges. "Lucien, get down!" Kaiser’s voice boomed over the hiss of the gren
The surface of the harbor was a churning cauldron of black grease and freezing foam. Kaiser, Izora, and Caspian collapsed onto the swaying deck of the salvage barge, the massive crane still groaning under the tension of the warehouse roof it had just ripped away. "Leo!" Izora scrambled to the edge
Benedict paused by the tall window, the rain casting streaks across his reflection. He stared at himself, at the monster he had willingly become, and smiled. Monsters did not regret. Monsters survived. Let her mother protect her now, he thought, a sneer tugging at his lips. Let her husband shield
“You must be Miss Eirian,” he said gently. “I’m Dr. Ramsey.” Izora stood slowly. “What’s wrong with her?” The doctor looked at her, then to Enoch. Then back at her. “Your mother… is in a coma.” Everything inside Izora went quiet. No sound. No heartbeat. Just silence crashing through her like gla
The rain was still falling. It spoke against the big bedroom windows, like secrets whispered against cold glass. Thunder rolled far away, trailing behind the clouds like an afterthought. The wind scratched against the glass with a fearful gasp. The hush inside was heavy. Izora stood still, her bod
Rita placed a stack of printouts on the table. Photos, newspaper clippings, a faded birth certificate, and a school ID. “The woman’s name was Amaris Nox. She was a private investigator, quietly funded through Benedict’s firm. They worked together off-book in the early 2000s.” “And the boy?” Rita
The SUV’s engine cooled with ticking groans as Kaiser stepped out into the damp silence, the echo of distant gunfire still ringing in his ears. The night had quieted, but the violence hadn’t ended. It had only scattered like embers in the wind waiting to ignite again. Smoke curled in the sky behind







