"Mom? Are you with me?" Jeremy’s voice broke through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present. He had been talking for a while now, but she hadn’t heard a word."Yes, love," she lied, turning to face him with a forced smile. "I’m with you. I was just… lost in my planning for tomorrow."She sat beside him, hoping he wouldn’t notice the way her hands still shook. But deep inside, she knew the peace in their home had been shattered. What had started years ago with her husband's secret deal was coming back to haunt them. And now, Jeremy was caught in the middle of something far more dangerous than he realized.*> Saturday had finally arrived, and with it, a bundle of nerves that twisted Jeremy's stomach into knots. He had been up since 4 a.m., pacing restlessly around his room. By the time 8 a.m. rolled around, he was already fidgeting, glancing at his phone every few minutes as he waited for Sarah's arrival.Why am I so anxious? he w
"What the hell?" Jeremy snapped, furious at being manhandled. He glared at James, his fists clenching as he prepared to give him a piece of his mind. But then his mother’s words echoed in his head: No fighting or arguing. He took a deep breath, letting the tension in his shoulders loosen as he let out an exasperated sigh."My time is limited," Jeremy muttered, crossing his arms and pouting in frustration. "I’m expecting someone any minute now.""I won’t take long," James assured him, his voice still unnervingly calm.Jeremy studied him for a moment. James seemed different—too calm, almost fragile, like someone on the verge of collapse. His usually confident demeanor was missing, and Jeremy couldn’t help but feel like something had cracked inside him."Alright, I’m listening," Jeremy finally said, though his impatience was still evident. He leaned against the porch railing, waiting for James to speak.James took two steps forward, but inst
It didn’t take long for a sleek, red car to pull up outside Jeremy’s house. The car gleamed in the morning light, its polished surface reflecting the sun’s rays. Jeremy watched, mildly surprised, as the door opened, and out stepped Sarah, looking as radiant as ever. She wasn’t just beautiful—she was stunning, her presence magnetic. She spotted Jeremy and immediately ran toward him, her face lighting up with joy. Before he could even react, she wrapped her arms around him in a warm, tight embrace.Jeremy stood there, momentarily stunned, as her warmth seeped into him. His arms wrapped around her instinctively. She smelled faintly of vanilla and roses, and for a moment, he forgot everything else. But his attention was quickly drawn to the two men still in the car—the driver and another man, probably a bodyguard. Both were glaring at him with obvious disdain. The driver’s eyes narrowed, and the security man even went as far as dragging his index finger acro
Sarah finally took her leave, after spending a few more minutes chatting with Jeremy by the front door. She bid Sophie goodbye, her bright smile lingering as she made her way outside. Jeremy followed her to the car, determined to see her off. And, of course, he couldn’t resist one last taunt toward the driver and security guard, who were still glaring daggers at him from behind the windshield."Let me know if they give you trouble," Jeremy joked, pulling Sarah into another embrace. This time, Sarah didn’t hesitate, immediately wrapping her arms around him with a warmth that made the guards bristle even more. Jeremy caught the driver's disgusted glance and smirked over Sarah’s shoulder.As the red car pulled away and Sarah waved one last time, Jeremy stood there watching, his thoughts bouncing between the warmth of Sarah’s presence and the looming mystery of what her birthday surprise might be. But he didn’t dwell too long. Monday was fast approaching, and
The air inside the dungeon crackled with a strange energy, thick with tension and the promise of danger. It didn’t take long for the first wave of beasts to appear. Massive, C ranked buffaloes emerged from the shadows, their thunderous hooves shaking the ground as they charged forward in a disorganized mass. Jeremy remained unbothered. He sat cross-legged on the dry, cracked ground of the dungeon, watching as Warhuz, Brandon, and Russ engaged the buffaloes with a mix of strategy and brute force. Warhuz, seasoned and efficient, fought with precision, his sword cutting through the beasts with practiced ease. Brandon, strong and steady, used his tonfa to counter the buffaloes’ attacks, while Russ struggled to keep up, parrying the horns of an incoming beast with visible frustration. "Tsk! Do something!" Russ snapped, his voice strained as he barely managed to deflect another attack. "Stop sitting there and acting like you're too good for this fight." Jeremy didn’t bother to rise. H
He rolled his shoulders, feeling his aura flare up as the yellow aura that had flickered around him earlier exploded into life, surrounding his body in a bright, untamed energy. His muscles bulged slightly, and his senses sharpened, the power within him coming alive.The next python, sensing the surge in power, hesitated for a split second—just enough time for Jeremy to strike. He lunged forward, moving with inhuman speed, and his sword seemed to vanish as it tore through the python’s body. The beast let out a bloodcurdling screech, but it was over before it even began. Jeremy’s beast-like instincts took over, his movements primal and vicious as he hacked through the python with a savage ferocity. His eyes gleamed with the thrill of the hunt, every swing of his sword leaving a trail of carnage in its wake.One by one, the pythons fell, their massive bodies crumbling as Jeremy unleashed hell upon them. He tested new moves, experimenting with combinations o
The man in red took a step forward, his smirk deepening as he crouched slightly, trying to meet the child’s gaze. "You could’ve ejected them in a nicer way, you know.""I don’t care," the child replied curtly, dismissing the suggestion as easily as one might swat away an insect.The red-clad figure sighed dramatically, rising back to his full height. "You could have killed the ascendant," he pressed, his tone almost teasing.The child’s eyes snapped open, a dangerous glint flashing within the eerie white pupils. "I don’t care," he repeated, but there was a sharp edge to his voice now, a warning."You should care." The man in red spoke."This is the second time he's stuck his nose in our business. If you’re not careful, you might get more attention than you bargained for," the child replied. "Besides, he’s not an ascendant yet. When I finish here, I’ll confront the true ascendant myself on why he allowed this nonsense to happen.<
"Yeah, it had to," Jeremy echoed, his voice low. "And now you're about to leave me in the cold again, aren’t you?"For a brief moment, the tension lifted as Owen chuckled lightly, but the sadness remained in his eyes. "You’re a special breed, Jeremy. Only if you were the one to lead, not Damien," Owen muttered, almost to himself. "Goodbye, student."And with that, Owen turned on his heel and disappeared into the night, his figure swallowed by the shadows before Jeremy could even fully process the exchange.Jeremy stood there for a long moment, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He fought the surge of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him—anger, sadness, betrayal. He had been left behind by the one person he thought he could rely on. Again.As Owen’s silhouette faded into the distance, Jeremy closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. His heart pounded in his chest, the weight of the unspoken words a