Andrew heard the men walking away and stood up with caution so his movements wouldn't make any noise, thereby attracting their attention. He still tried to process all that he had just heard, it was a hard pill to swallow; that Alec wasn't the one he should have been focusing his attacks on rather it should have been Diego but how was he supposed to know that Diego was working with Alec and he was a serious threat than he realized to himself and his family. He remembered that he had heard them talk about a deadline which was the end of this week. Andrew wondered exactly what they meant by "giving a guy till the end of this week to get the money." Were they talking about him? Andrew couldn't tell if he was the one they were talking about but he remembered that Diego told him that he was going to get some amount of money from him. Andrew's worries increased as the minutes went by. His mind was in turmoil and he didn't understand what was happening around him any longer, it all seeme

Andrew's mind spiraled with everything Valkyron had told him. The faint glow of the system flickered before him, calm and steady, an irritating contrast to the storm brewing inside his head. "You’ve been telling me about powers and keys," Andrew muttered, running a hand over his face, "but none of this makes any sense. How the hell am I supposed to unlock powers I don’t even know I have?" Valkyron’s screen shifted slightly, as if adjusting. –It will make sense soon, Master. But first, you must understand the potential that lies within you. Your abilities are waiting to awaken, and once they do, the world as you know it will change.– Andrew gave a bitter laugh. "Change how? You keep talking in circles. If I have this so-called power, why am I sitting in a dungeon, chained to the wall like a common prisoner?" Valkyron’s glow intensified slightly. –Because, Master, your powers are dormant. But once activated, you will not need these walls, nor these chains. Watch.– The screen

Andrew sat slumped against the cold wall, his bruised body aching with every shallow breath. His thoughts swirled in a heavy fog of exhaustion, pain, and frustration. The taste of blood still lingered in his mouth, and his swollen eye throbbed. He closed his eyes, trying to focus, trying to block out everything—the darkness, the cold, and the endless despair. Then he heard her voice. "Andrew... Andrew." His eyes snapped open, and he stared at the iron bars of the dungeon gate, blinking rapidly. That voice—it couldn’t be real. It was Emilia’s voice, soft and trembling. "I’m losing it," Andrew muttered to himself, dragging his fingers through his tangled hair. "I’m hallucinating now." But the voice came again, clearer this time. "Andrew, please listen to me. I’m here." He forced himself to sit up, his heart racing as he squinted toward the entrance. There, in the dim light that bled through the cracks of the corridor, stood Emilia. She looked... different. Her usual poise an

Dusk had befallen the earth when Patrick forcefully came to terms that what he was dealing with something bigger that he realised. He stepped away from the box, and inspected it from where he stood. His eyes were still fixated on the rooftop of his house. His eyes darted to the box again. What the hell did this mean and what was he supposed to do with it. Was he supposed to take the box inside for further inspection or just leave it out here for whoever had thrown it down. But that was the lingering question on Patrick's mind? Where had the box come from or where had it fallen from and who had dropped it? The box couldn't have just fallen from the sky, that would have would been absurd, but what was more absurd was that, it seemed that the box had indeed fallen down from the sky. After a bout of conflicting thoughts, Patrick reached for the box slowly and yanked the box from the floor, waiting to see if anything was going to happen if he touched the box but disappointedly, nothing

"Tell me where it is so that we can go there." Andrew said with urgency in his voice. Emilia sighed and looked forward. She pointed toward the empty space in front of her. "Down that hall," she whispered, pointing toward a distant door with two faint silhouettes standing guard. "That’s where the source is. Two guards, always stationed there. We’ll have a small window between shifts, but it won’t be long." Andrew’s jaw clenched. "I can’t leave without getting into that room." Emilia turned toward him, her face pale under the dim light. "Andrew, this isn’t a game. If they catch us, Diego won’t just throw you back in the dungeon—he’ll kill us both." "I know the risks." Andrew’s eyes darkened with determination. "But I have to see it. If I don’t, Diego will always have the upper hand." Emilia shook her head, exhaling a shaky breath. "You’re so stubborn. I swear you’ll get yourself killed." Andrew’s lips curled into a grim smile. "Better to die trying than live as a pawn in hi