The Sanctuary.

Chapter 9: The Sanctuary

The storm over the city had not stopped.

Thunder rolled endlessly across the sky as rain poured down over the broken street. The pavement was cracked, cars were destroyed, and shattered glass covered the ground.

But none of that mattered anymore.

Because every monster in the area was kneeling before Ethan.

The Reapers.

The Hunters.

Even the massive Alpha Hunter had lowered its head in submission.

Raven stared at him with growing concern.

“Ethan,” she said carefully, “you need to calm down.”

But Ethan didn’t respond.

His silver eyes were glowing brighter than ever. 

The power surrounding him crackled through the air like electricity.

Lucian watched with interest, his golden eyes studying every movement.

“Well,” he said quietly, “that escalated faster than expected.”

Raven shot him an angry look. That has a very big and deep meaning but still Lucian was able to hold himself from doing anything that will harm them. 

“This isn’t funny.”

Lucian shrugged.

“I didn’t say it was.”

Ethan suddenly took a step forward.

The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly.

Raven felt a chill run down her spine.

“He’s losing control,” she whispered.

Lucian nodded.

“Yes.”

The power around Ethan surged again.

The kneeling Reapers began trembling violently, as if they were being crushed by an invisible force.

Raven quickly moved in front of him.

“Ethan!”

His glowing eyes slowly turned toward her.

For a moment… she barely recognized him.

“Raven,” he said quietly.

His voice sounded deeper.

More stronger.

Even powerful than before.

Different from every other time. 

“You said I could command them.”

Raven swallowed.

“Yes… but—”

Ethan looked around at the monsters kneeling before him.

“They tried to kill me.”

Lucian folded his arms.

“That tends to happen with Reapers.”

Raven ignored him.

“Ethan, listen to me,” she said carefully. “Your power is connected to your emotions. If you lose control—”

Lightning flashed across the sky.

Ethan looked up at the storm.

Then he slowly closed his eyes.

For several seconds, the street remained silent.

Then the glowing light in his eyes began to fade.

The power surrounding him slowly disappeared.

The Reapers collapsed onto the ground, gasping like creatures who had just been released from suffocation.

The Alpha Hunter lifted its head cautiously.

Ethan opened his eyes again.

They were normal now.

Human.

He exhaled slowly.

“That felt… strange.”

Raven immediately grabbed his shoulders.

“You scared me.”

Ethan blinked.

“Sorry.”

Lucian clapped slowly from behind them.

“Well done.”

Raven glared at him again.

“Not helping.”

Lucian ignored her.

Instead, he looked toward the monsters.

As if he knew what is ahead of them. He said to them

“Now comes the bigger problem.”

Ethan followed his gaze.

The Reapers were already standing again.

Their black eyes remained locked on him. 

“They’re not attacking,” Ethan said.

Lucian nodded.

“No.”

“Why?”

Lucian smiled faintly.

“Because they’re confused.”

Raven crossed her arms.

“They’ve never faced an Alpha King before.”

Lucian corrected her.

“Not in five hundred years.”

The Alpha Hunter suddenly stepped forward again.

Its massive body moved slowly toward Ethan.

Ethan stiffened slightly.

“Is it… friendly?”

The creature lowered its head again.

Completely obedient.

Lucian chuckled softly.

“It recognizes you as its ruler.”

Ethan rubbed his forehead.

“This is still insane.”

Raven finally looked around the destroyed street.

“We can’t stay here.”

Lucian raised an eyebrow.

“Why not? I’m enjoying the view.”

Raven pointed toward the distance.

Police sirens were already echoing across the city.

And far beyond that…

More monster roars could still be heard.

“Because the entire city is about to notice what happened here,” she said.

Lucian sighed.

“Fair point.”

Ethan looked at Raven.

“So where do we go?”

Raven hesitated.

Then she finally said something she had clearly been avoiding.

“There’s a place.”

Lucian’s smile faded slightly.

“Oh?”

Raven looked directly at Ethan.

“A sanctuary.”

Ethan frowned.

“For monsters?”

“For people like you.”

Lucian laughed quietly.

“You mean the Order.”

Raven shot him a warning look.

“Don’t.”

But Ethan had already heard it.

“The Order?” he asked.

Raven sighed.

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

Lucian answered before she could.

“A secret organization that has protected humanity from supernatural creatures for centuries.”

Raven glared at him.

“You’re leaving out an important detail.”

Lucian smiled again.

“Am I?”

Ethan looked between them.

“What detail?”

Raven’s expression became serious again.

“The Order was the group that originally hunted the Alpha Kings.”

Ethan froze. As if he heard something bad or what he in his life never thought of coming in contact with. And here he is being schooled about it. 

“They what?”

Lucian nodded casually.

“Oh yes.”

Ethan stared at Raven.

“You belong to a group that hunts people like me?”

Raven quickly shook her head.

“Not anymore.”

Lucian chuckled.

“Technically still true.”

Raven snapped.

“Lucian!”

Ethan stepped back slightly.

“So let me get this straight.”

He pointed at Raven.

“You were sent to find me.”

“Yes.”

“And your organization used to hunt my bloodline.”

“…Yes.”

Ethan rubbed his face.

“This night just keeps getting better.”

Lucian smirked.

“Oh, it’s about to get much worse.”

Raven sighed.

“Why?”

Lucian pointed toward the Reapers standing silently across the street.

“Because they’re not leaving.”

The creatures had not moved.

They simply stood there.

Watching Ethan.

Waiting.

Raven frowned.

“That’s not normal.”

Lucian nodded.

“No.”

Ethan crossed his arms.

“So what are they doing?”

Lucian’s golden eyes narrowed slightly.

“They’re waiting for orders.”

Ethan blinked.

“My orders?”

Lucian shook his head slowly.

“No.”

Lightning flashed across the sky again.

And in that moment…

A massive shadow moved across the distant buildings.

Something far bigger than the Alpha Hunter.

Something ancient.

Something no one have seen in five hundred years. 

Lucian’s voice dropped quietly.

“Their master’s orders.”

Ethan felt a chill run down his spine.

“They have a master?”

Lucian looked at him.

“Yes.”

The storm roared louder above them.

And far away in the darkness…

A deep roar answered.

Lucian finished his sentence calmly.

“And he just woke up too."