The council room’s air was heavy, thick with tension and purpose. Jeremy sat at the head of the mahogany table, his fingers tracing invisible patterns on its polished surface. Around him, his most trusted allies—Kade, James, Mary, and Jessica—formed a circle of power. The dim lighting from the chandelier cast flickering shadows across their n. “The time is almost upon us,” he began, his voice low and steady. “We’ve expanded faster than any faction expected, but rumors are catching up. The guilds are starting to grow suspicious, and underground associations are restless. It won’t be long before they start testing us.”Mary folded her arms, her expression sharp. “We’ve hijacked enough shipments, seized their resources, and made enemies in high places. There’s only so much fear we can wield before someone pushes back.”Kade, lounging lazily with his feet propped up on the edge of the table, smirked. “Suspicion? Friction? Please. They were always going to hate us. Better to be feared th
The moon hung high above the towering Telbarian Guild headquarters, casting a silver sheen over its marble exterior. Beneath the pristine surface, hidden from ordinary eyes, lay a secret vault known only to the elite—a place where celestial relics, treasures of immense power, were stored. Jeremy and his team had spent months planning for this night, and now it was time to seize what they needed to complete the Soul Ladder.Jeremy adjusted his black hood and glanced at his companions. Kade, Felicia, and James stood silently beside him, their faces illuminated by the faint glow of a glyph James had just deactivated to disable the warding around the vault entrance."Remember," Jeremy whispered, his voice a low hum. "This isn’t a fight we can afford to drag out. In and out—quick and quiet."Kade smirked. "When is it ever quiet with us?"Jeremy rolled his eyes but didn’t respond. The iron door groaned as it slid open, revealing a descending staircase bathed in pale blue light. Without hesi
The streets were quiet that night, cloaked in an unsettling calm. Jeremy had grown accustomed to the hum of tension in the air, like a predator sensing another in its territory. Something wasn’t right. His instincts told him that the celestial realm, after months of silence, had finally noticed his growing power. He could feel the shift—an unfamiliar presence.He closed his eyes, letting his senses expand, searching. That’s when he felt it—a faint pulse of energy hidden beneath layers of disguise, like a flickering star masked by thick clouds. Whoever it was, they didn’t belong here."Found you," Jeremy whispered with a grim smile.The trail led Jeremy through the outskirts of the city, where the lights faded and shadows reigned. He followed the subtle pulse of celestial energy to an abandoned industrial complex, its cracked windows and rusting beams giving it an eerie atmosphere.Inside, the air was thick with the smell of oil and decay. And ther
The air buzzed with tension and power. In the heart of Jeremy’s estate, Jessica stood before the glowing construct of the Soul Ladder, her hands dancing over ancient sigils that shimmered with vibrant energy. The structure was massive—a spiral of arcane symbols and blackened stone, pulsing in rhythm with the cosmos. It was an unholy bridge, stitching together the fabric between Earth and the celestial realm.Jeremy stood silently behind her, his face shadowed, his thoughts heavy. This was the moment he had prepared for—a culmination of all the decisions, sacrifices, and battles he had endured. Today was his nineteenth birthday. The day everything would change.As the final touches were completed, Jeremy summoned Elijah, the guild master of the Dark Horses Guild, along with key members from his first-ever alliance. They gathered in the great hall, their expressions filled with a mixture of loyalty and unease. The people who had once fought beside him now looked at h
Jeremy’s gaze drifted upward as the guardians descended. These beings were unlike anything he had ever seen—humanoid shapes forged from pure celestial energy, their forms flickering like flames and stardust. They towered over the intruders, standing between ten to twelve feet tall, with long limbs and wings made of translucent crystal feathers that shimmered with divine light. Their eyes were featureless, glowing orbs of brilliance, devoid of emotion, yet filled with unyielding purpose.Each guardian bore a weapon suited to their role—halberds carved from starlight, spears of radiant fire, and shields that glowed like miniature suns. Their bodies shifted with every movement, as if their forms could not decide whether to remain solid or dissolve into mist.Jeremy tightened his grip on his katana, feeling the dark energy hum beneath his skin. Kade shifted beside him, muscles tensed and ready, while Noctis crouched low, already calculating his next move. They had barely stepped into the
The air in the celestial realm felt heavier than before, as if the world itself were aware of Jeremy and his allies’ presence, waiting silently to swallow them whole. The golden mists swirled lazily around them, shimmering rivers of starlight winding underfoot. Jeremy stood still, eyes closed, attempting to read the alien energy surrounding them—but even his sharpened senses felt muffled here, as though the plane itself sought to hide its secrets.Kade, ever impatient, broke the silence.“What now?” Kade blurted, his voice brimming with tension.Noctis shot him a sideways glance, his tone cool and mocking. "Must you whine every time we stop? Do you ever shut up?"Kade’s grin spread wide, his annoyance bubbling over. "You know, I never liked you in the first place. Should have stayed in your own damn guild."Noctis tilted his head slightly, his smirk razor-sharp. "Yet here I am. Deal with it."Before Kade could fire back, Mary's voice cut through the tension like a whip."That's enoug
The mist thickened as Jeremy and Noctis ventured deeper into the alien forest. They knew something lurked nearby, hidden among the towering trunks and glowing foliage. Then, the forest stirred, and the first of the beings emerged—creaking giants of bark and leaves, humanoid in shape but utterly inhuman.These beings were immense, towering like ancient trees come to life. Their faces were rough-hewn, like carved wood, and their eyes glowed a fierce yellow, devoid of warmth or mercy. As more of them emerged from the shadows, Jeremy counted at least seventy surrounding them in a silent, menacing formation.Noctis cracked his knuckles, his usual grin creeping onto his face. "What took you so long to show up?" he taunted, spinning his dagger between his fingers. "I’ve been itching for a fight."Jeremy’s sharp gaze moved over the assembled beings. They didn’t seem like much of a challenge—not to him, at least. He had anticipated stronger resistance, but this was
The river beneath Kade’s feet shimmered like molten silver, each ripple casting tiny stars into the air as if the cosmos itself was flowing through the stream. The air hummed with ethereal energy, making every breath feel heavier and more potent. The path seemed endless, stretching far beyond what the eye could see, winding through towering groves of astral trees that glowed with pale blue light.Kade sighed in frustration, brushing a hand through his disheveled hair. "Is there no end to this?" he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.Mary walked beside him in silence, her thoughts far away. She had followed Jeremy for years, not only as his trusted assistant but as someone profoundly indebted to him. He had unlocked her potential, dragging her from mediocrity and thrusting her into greatness.Jeremy had taken her under his wing when she was barely scraping by at the peak of C+ rank. Under his relentless guidance, along with rare pills and potions