เข้าสู่ระบบ"You thought the First God was the beginning. It was the end. The thing that created it is still out there. And it's been waiting for someone to defeat its sibling so it could finally be free."The voice in my mind was cold and ancient, older than the First God, older than the primordial darkness, older than anything I'd ever faced. It wasn't the First God. It was something else. Something that had been hiding in the shadows of the shadows since before time began.Dante was at my side in an instant, his hand on my shoulder, his gray eyes searching mine. "What is it? What's happening?""Something spoke to me. Something older than the First God. It said it created everything. And it's coming to collect.""Collect what?""Everything. Us. The children. The city. The world."Dante's jaw tightened. "Then we fight it. Like we've fought everything else.""This isn't like the other enemies. It's not a person. It's not a creature. It's a force. A primordial darkness that existed before light. B
"You're telling me there's something older than the primordial darkness? Older than the thing that created the first evil? What could possibly be older than nothing?"Salvatore Greco's voice was sharp with disbelief. The council chamber was tense, the five Dons seated around the table, their faces a mixture of fear and skepticism. Dante stood at my side, his hand on my back, his presence a steady anchor."The ancient texts speak of a being that existed before creation," I said. "Before light. Before dark. Before the primordial forces that shaped our world. It's called the First God. It created the primordial darkness as a weapon. A tool. And now that I've destroyed its weapon, it's coming to collect.""The First God." Greco's eyes narrowed. "You expect us to believe in gods now? We're men of business. Men of power. We don't deal in fairy tales.""Fairy tales don't destroy cities. Fairy tales don't kill armies. Fairy tales don't possess your children and try to use them to end the worl
"I didn't create the first evil. I created the thing that created the first evil. And now it's waking up."The voice in my mind was cold and ancient, older than the tomb, older than the curse, older than anything I'd ever faced. It wasn't the first evil. It was something worse. Something that had been hiding in the shadows of the shadows since before time began.Dante was at my side in an instant, his hand on my shoulder, his gray eyes searching mine. "What is it? What's happening?""Something spoke to me. Something older than the first evil. It said it created everything. And it's coming to collect.""Collect what?""Everything. Us. The children. The city. The world."Dante's jaw tightened. "Then we fight it. Like we've fought everything else.""This isn't like the other enemies. It's not a person. It's not a creature. It's a force. A primordial darkness that existed before light. Before life. Before anything.""Then we find a way to destroy it. Or contain it. Or bargain with it. Wha
"The boy you lost is not lost. He's a key. And the first evil will use him to unlock the end of everything."The words echoed in my mind as I stared at the text message, my blood running cold. Lucian. My son. The boy who'd sacrificed himself to save his sister. He wasn't gone. He was a key. And the first evil was coming to claim him.Dante was already mobilizing. Marco's men swept the city for any sign of the original Serpents. Enzo and Elara coordinated with the council, assembling every available soldier, every weapon, every resource. Lyra was safe in the penthouse, surrounded by guards, but I could feel her fear through our connection. She knew something was wrong. She just didn't know what.I stood on the balcony, staring at the city lights, my hand pressed against my chest where Lucian's presence used to be. It was empty now. Hollow. He was still alive, I knew that. But he was far away. Trapped. And I couldn't reach him."Essa." Dante's voice came from behind me. "We have a lead.
"Give us the boy, or we'll take the girl. You have until midnight."The note was still clutched in my hand, the words burning into my brain. Lyra was gone. Taken by the original Serpents. The children of the first evil. And they wanted Lucian in exchange.Dante was already on the phone, barking orders. Marco was coordinating search teams. Enzo and Elara were arming themselves. But I stood frozen, my mind racing through every possible outcome."Essa." Dante's voice cut through the chaos. "We'll find her. We'll get her back.""How? They're not human. They're not even alive. They're shadows. Nightmares. How do we fight something that doesn't exist?""We fight it together. Like we've fought everything else."Lucian's voice was quiet in my mind. Let me go. Let me trade myself for her."No."It's the only way. They want me. If I go, they'll let her live."I'm not losing you either. You're my son. You're her brother. We find another way."There is no other way. They're not like the other ene
"Don't come near me. I don't know what I'll do."The words scraped past my lips, but they weren't mine. They belonged to the thing inside me. The ancient evil. The first darkness. It was using my voice, my body, my face. And I couldn't stop it.Dante stood at the end of the hallway, his weapon drawn, his face a mask of grief and fury. Enzo and Elara flanked him, their eyes wide with horror. Marco's men had surrounded the building, but no one dared approach. Not after what they'd seen."Essa. Fight it. You're stronger than this." Dante's voice cracked. "You've beaten everything they've thrown at you. You can beat this too."He doesn't understand. The thing inside me laughed. He thinks you're still in there. He thinks he can save you. He doesn't know I've already won.I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to run into Dante's arms and never let go. But my body wasn't mine anymore. My hands moved without my permission. My lips curved into a smile that wasn't mine."He's right, you
The blacked-out SUV carved through the city like a shark through dark water. I sat in the backseat beside Dante, my hands folded in my lap, my heart beating a steady war drum against my ribs. The driver—a silent, thick-necked man Dante had introduced as Marco—kept his eyes on the road, but I felt h
I woke to the smell of coffee and the distant murmur of Dante's voice through the bedroom door.For a disoriented second, I didn't know where I was. The sheets were too soft, the pillows too expensive, the light slanting through the curtains too golden for my cheap apartment with its perpetually st
Sophia's knock still echoed through the penthouse, sharp and urgent, but I didn't move toward the door. Neither did Dante. His eyes stayed locked on mine, storm-gray and unreadable, waiting. The question I'd been about to ask—tell me about the file, about the photos, about the surveillance on my a
The window rattled harder, the shadow outside pressing against the sheer curtain like a ghost trying to break through.My heart slammed into my throat. I stumbled back from the balcony door, phone still clutched in my sweaty palm, the mysterious text about Dante’s “file” burning in my mind. Someone







