142Two men came at him with knives, their eyes narrowing as they rushed forward, blades gleaming under the dim courtyard lights. Dylan didn’t flinch. His posture remained relaxed, almost too calm for someone in the middle of a fight. He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips.“Really? Knives?” he asked, almost bored. “Is this supposed to be intimidating?”The two attackers exchanged a quick glance, confusion flickering in their eyes. They clearly underestimated him.With the fluidity of a dancer, Dylan sidestepped the first man’s thrust, his movements smooth and precise. His foot swept low, taking the man’s feet out from under him. The man crashed to the ground, the knife clattering uselessly across the floor. Dylan stood over him, hands in his pockets, completely unfazed.“Oh, that had to hurt,” Dylan remarked, eyeing the man’s twisted leg with mock sympathy. “Should’ve stretched before this. But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll walk it off.”The second man lunged at him, but Dy

144Once inside, the atmosphere shifted. The heavy scent of floral perfume mixed with the subtle but unmistakable sting of cold steel. Dylan, still trying to shake off the effects of the blow to his head, was dragged across the polished marble floor by two men who seemed to take particular pleasure in his disorientation. His limbs were sluggish, his mind still clouded by the intense pain that rattled through his skull. But as the world around him began to clear, he could make out the shadows of high-backed chairs, gilded furniture, and velvet curtains that blocked out the moonlight, casting an eerie darkness on the grand room.They stopped before the center of the room, and Dylan could feel the weight of someone’s gaze on him. His pulse quickened. That feeling… her. The scent of her perfume lingered in the air, too distinct, too sharp to be mistaken for anything else.“Seraphina…” Dylan muttered under his breath, his voice a mixture of irritation and disdain. His body still felt uncoo

146: The Ghosts of the PastHer eyes locked onto his with a glare so intense it felt like it could burn through steel. For a moment, she didn’t speak, her gaze flickering between his eyes and the two men she’d stationed to guard him. They were already recovering, readying themselves for the next round. “Is that so?” Seraphina said, her voice dripping with mock sincerity. “You really think you’re in control? You think you can take me down with a single move? You’ve never been in control, Dylan. Not in this situation. Not with me.” Dylan smirked, his heart pounding. “You’re trapped here, Seraphina. You just don’t see it yet.” The room went deathly silent, the two guards now slowly moving into position behind him, their eyes cold with determination. But Dylan wasn’t going to back down. He could feel the tension building, the pressure mounting. Seraphina gestured to the two men, a sharp motion of her hand. “Get him.” Without hesitation, the guards lunged at him, but this time, Dylan

148 Chapter 148: The Final StandoffTitan’s massive hand closed tighter around Dylan’s throat, lifting him off the ground with a casual ease that made it clear he was in control. The world around Dylan blurred, his breath coming in desperate, ragged gasps as his vision dimmed, the pressure on his windpipe suffocating him. He clawed at the fingers, but it was like trying to move a mountain. His head swam, and his body felt like it was about to give out entirely.“Is this it, Dylan?” Titan’s voice rumbled, low and threatening, as he looked down at the man dangling from his grip. “You think you’ve outsmarted me? That you have some trick up your sleeve?”Dylan could barely keep his eyes open, but he managed to meet Titan’s gaze, defiance still burning in his chest despite the desperate situation. He struggled to pull in air, gasping through clenched teeth. “Yeah, I think… I might have just one left,” he wheezed, though it came out more as a strained rasp.Titan’s lips curled into a smug

Chapter 150: A Desperate Play With what little strength he could muster, Dylan forced a grin, despite the pain. “I’ve got to admit, Titan, you’re pretty good at this whole ‘threatening’ thing,” he rasped. “But if you’re going to kill me, at least be creative. You’re starting to sound like a broken record.” He let out a wheeze that sounded almost like a laugh. “I mean, come on, crushing me like a bug? So cliché.”Titan’s eyes narrowed, his grip tightening further. “I’ll show you what’s cliché, little man. You’re gonna regret opening that mouth of yours.”Dylan blinked, his vision flickering. His strength was almost gone, but his resolve remained firm. Ribs. Weakness. He could still do this.“You know,” he continued, his voice weak but laced with defiance, “if you’re gonna be the one to kill me, you should at least put some effort into it. You’re just gonna kill me like it’s nothing?” He coughed, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, but he pressed on. “You’re not even trying, T