2025-02-05 23:30:11Samuel first noticed the visions three nights ago. They started as fleeting images—shadows curling at the edges of his consciousness, whispers in languages he didn’t recognize, and a throne wreathed in flickering blue flames. But last night, they became impossible to ignore. He had woken up drenched in sweat, heart hammering in his chest, his arm burning as if seared by an invisible fire. When he pulled up his sleeve, a sigil glowed on his forearm, intricate and pulsating with an eerie golden light.
Sarah was the first to see it.
Her face paled. She took a step back, gripping the edge of the table as if the sight had physically weakened her. "Oh, God," she whispered.
"What?" Samuel demanded, his voice hoarse. "You know what this is?"
Sarah swallowed hard, her fingers trembling. "I was hoping this would never happen." She looked into his eyes, guilt and fear warring in her expression. "Samuel, there’s something I never told you about your
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BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 57
The hum of the private jet was the only sound that accompanied Samuel as he stared out of the window, watching the endless blue of the ocean below. The sunlight reflected off the water’s surface, making it appear like liquid glass. It was beautiful—too beautiful for what lay ahead. Samuel shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his thoughts racing.His old master’s final words echoed in his mind: “Your true purpose lies in the ocean’s depths.”What could that possibly mean? He had been trained for years in secret, preparing for something big, but nothing had ever felt this urgent. XX Island. The name alone was enough to send a shiver down his spine. It wasn’t just an island—it was a place steeped in mystery, with whispers of its ancient power and artifacts that could alter the very fabric of time. And now, Samuel was bound for it, with only fragmented clues to guide him.Beside him, Sarah sat quietly, her gaze fixed on the horizon. He hadn’t heard a word from her since they boarded the pla
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 58
The cave trembled around us, dust raining from the ceiling as the ground beneath our feet quaked. The pedestal where the journal had rested began to crack, thin fractures crawling across its surface like veins of some ancient, dying beast.I gripped the book tighter, my breath coming fast. “What the hell is happening?”Sarah stood frozen, her eyes darting around the chamber. She took a step back, her voice barely above a whisper. “We triggered something… but I don’t know what.”I turned to her sharply. “You knew this place would react, didn’t you? You knew something like this could happen.”She flinched at the accusation but didn’t deny it.“You’ve been keeping secrets this entire time,” I snapped, anger flaring in my chest. “Enough. Tell me what’s really going on.”Sarah clenched her fists, her hesitation tangible. The flickering torchlight cast
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 59
The crash of falling rocks echoed behind them as Samuel and Sarah emerged onto the rocky shore, their breaths ragged and uneven. The cave had collapsed completely, leaving behind nothing but dust and the faint tremors still reverberating through the earth. The ocean roared against the jagged cliffs, its waves crashing in a relentless, violent rhythm, as if mirroring the chaos unfolding before them.Samuel steadied himself, hands braced against his knees, his pulse hammering in his ears. He turned sharply toward Sarah, his voice laced with frustration.“What the hell just happened?”Sarah’s face was pale, her usually sharp gaze unfocused as she stared at the spot where the cave entrance had once stood. Slowly, she shook her head. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. The island has never reacted like this before.”Samuel exhaled sharply, his frustration mounting. He could still feel the weight of the journal tucked in his bag, as if the secrets within were burn
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 60
The weight of the island’s demand pressed down on him, suffocating, inescapable. His hands trembled at his sides as he turned to Sarah, hoping for another answer—any answer—that didn’t end in blood.“There has to be another way,” he said, his voice tight with desperation. “Something we’re missing. A loophole.”Sarah’s eyes darkened with concern. She wanted to tell him there was another way, but she couldn’t lie to him—not now. “If there was, I would have told you already,” she admitted. “But this has always been the island’s way.”The elder woman remained silent, watching him with an unreadable expression. She had seen this moment before, countless times throughout history—when the heir was forced to face the impossible. And she knew that in the end, the island always got what it wanted.Samuel swallowed hard. His fingers brushed against the worn leather of the journal still tucked inside his bag. He had hoped the answers were in its pages, but all it had given him were more questions
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 61
The moment Samuel’s blood touched the earth, something ancient stirred beneath the surface. The island trembled—not with anger, but with recognition.Samuel gasped as heat pulsed from his wounded palm, spreading up his arm like liquid fire. The sensation wasn’t pain, exactly. It was something deeper, something that burned into his very bones.Sarah held onto him, her fingers digging into his arm. “Samuel, talk to me! What’s happening?”He tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. His vision blurred, the world around him tilting as if reality itself had shifted.Then, the ground beneath them split open.A glowing fissure ran from where his blood had fallen, jagged veins of golden light branching out like roots seeking nourishment. The energy pulsed, slow at first, then faster, brighter, until the entire clearing was bathed in its eerie glow.Samuel stumbled back, his breath shallow. His reflection shimmered in the golden light—his skin looked different, almost translucent, as if som
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 62
The energy wrapped around him, seeping into his skin, into his bones, into something even deeper—his soul. It was like drowning, but instead of water, it was power, memories, and voices that weren’t his. The whispers pressed against his mind, urging him to listen.And then—darkness.A sharp gasp escaped his lips as he landed on solid ground, knees hitting the earth with a force that sent pain shooting up his legs. He wasn’t in the clearing anymore.He was somewhere else.A temple stood before him, carved from black stone, its edges glowing with the same golden energy that had surrounded him. The air was thick, humming with something alive. The sky above was dark—no stars, no moon, only swirling mist."Finally awake, are we?"Samuel spun around.A man stood a few feet away, leaning lazily against one of the temple’s pillars. His sharp features were half-hidden by the shadows, but his
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 63
.Dark tendrils wrapped around his limbs, pulling him deeper into the abyss. The golden energy that once surged through him flickered like a dying flame, overwhelmed by the creeping void. His breath came in short gasps as his vision blurred, swallowed by the endless dark.Somewhere above, he heard Sarah screaming his name.But the sound was distant—too far, too unreachable.Then, just as the last sliver of golden light disappeared, a voice whispered in his ear."Now, you are mine."Samuel’s eyes snapped open.He was no longer falling.Instead, he stood in a vast, empty space. The ground beneath him was slick like polished glass, reflecting a sky of swirling black mist. No stars. No horizon. Just an endless void.And in front of him—A figure emerged from the shadows.It was human-like, but its form constantly shifted, as if made from liquid darkness. Its eyes glowed a deep
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 64
Samuel's chest rose and fell in ragged breaths as he sat on the cold temple floor, the weight of what had just happened pressing down on him. The golden energy had saved him—Sarah had saved him—but the shadows hadn’t truly disappeared. They lingered at the edges of his consciousness, whispering, waiting.Sarah pulled back just enough to look into his face. "Samuel, what happened in there?"He exhaled shakily. "It—" His throat felt raw, as if the darkness had tried to strangle the words before they could leave him. "It called itself the Forgotten One."Sarah stiffened. "The Forgotten One?""You know about it?" Samuel asked, watching as her fingers instinctively clenched into fists.
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\The road to the Vale of Remnants wasn’t marked on any map. It was hidden, buried beneath centuries of secrecy and natural camouflage. Eli had given them a tattered scroll, ink faded but still legible, containing coordinates only someone with the sigil could decipher. As they left the last paved road behind, the air grew heavier, laced with static. Trees loomed taller here, their twisted trunks like sentinels watching every move.Samuel sat in the backseat, staring out at the encroaching forest, his mind reeling. The Mark of Ascendance pulsed under his sleeve with quiet insistence, as if reacting to their proximity to the boundary. Every time he blinked, he saw that throne again—ancient and immense, its surface etched with glowing veins of light and shadow.Joey drove in tense silence. He had stopped cracking jokes two hours ago, when the GPS died and the radio began spitting out bursts of static mixed with those same whispered voices Samuel had been hearing. Sarah sat beside him, ey
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The handshake lingered longer than it should have, and when Marcus finally let go, Samuel wiped his hand on his coat, as if trying to rid himself of something foul. The warehouse hit had gone clean, precise, but that didn’t matter now. Callahan’s warning refused to quiet in Samuel’s head. The real players—the ones who truly run this city—are still out there.Back at the safe house, the atmosphere was no warmer than when they had left. Olivia was asleep on the couch, her breathing shallow but even. Rafael stood by the window, watching the street, while Evelyn leaned against the wall, arms crossed, the lines of tension etched deeper into her face.“You okay?” Samuel asked, stepping beside her.She didn’t answer at first. Then, quietly, “We just shot a man in cold blood, and I don’t feel a thing. That’s not normal.”Samuel glanced at her. “Normal left the building a long time ago.”Rafael spoke up. “We’ve stirred something up. Marcus might be useful, but he’s no ally. He plays sides, not
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'Hey, how about now? I am hungry'.There really was no other choice but to send a message to Gelael and go out with him. I couldn't possibly have to whine to Adrian, he might get really angry with me, because earlier he had offered to buy food straight away.Luckily, in no more than five minutes, Gelael arrived. I immediately got down and opened Gelael's car door when I saw that he had come with his friend. I immediately closed the front door and moved to the back. Unlucky! It's really embarrassing."Eh, sorry Emma, I forgot to tell you that I invited my brother, his name is Bon," said Gelael, Bon then extended his hand towards me."Emma," I said, shaking Bon's hand."Where are you going, sis?" Bon asked Gelael."Whatever, just a place to eat, a relaxed cafe, something delicious, if possible with live music," said Gelael.I sent a message to Gelael.'Why didn't you say that you would invite your brother, I was embarrassed because I suddenly opened the front door''Why should you be em
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"Why did you bring your brother? That's really cool," I asked."He was the one who wanted to come, he said he was bored at home, lazy about being told by his older brother, so I just invited him, do you feel bothered?" Gelael asked back."No, it's up to you, whoever you want to invite," I answered.Gelael smiled, he kept looking at me, I became uncomfortable."What now?" I asked Gelael."Nothing, I'm just happy to see you again, forgive all my stupidity yesterday, I think I was possessed by the ghost of a woman, that's why I acted so annoyingly," said Gelael."There's no need to discuss it any further, just assume that if you're crazy, I understand," I said.Gelael laughed, he looked back at me while supporting his chin. A very annoying pose for me, I ignored it and immediately played with my cellphone.Adrian sent photos of the food being served at Sandra's house, lots of it. It looked like they were having a luxurious party, Sandra was also seen smiling holding a lobster. I'm gratef
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“Why, just because I said something wrong earlier? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, don't be angry like this, we can discuss other things that are more interesting," replied Gelael."What else can I discuss with you?" I asked."What, I don't know either, there are many things I could tell you but you won't hear them, you understand what I mean," said Gelael, he looked at me sharply."Yeah, thank you, I don't want to hear it one bit," I answered.Gelael raised his eyebrows, he then opened his cellphone. Likewise with me. I also kept myself busy by opening my cellphone.I looked around, people seemed to be chatting with each other, sharing stories, laughing, and making memorable memories. Meanwhile we were both just busy with our own affairs. There are no more words, no more stories that we can talk about, it's all over.Likewise with this relationship, it should be completely over, it cannot be forced. Between the two of us we still have wounds and hopes, I have wounds that have not yet h
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Adrian sat on the sofa in front of the television, leaned his head against the sofa cushion, he closed his eyes, from his expression I could tell that Adrian felt very tired and depressed."Sandra apologized to me earlier, she told me about how all this could happen, I was very touched," said Adrian, still with the same expression."That's all he said?" I asked.Adrian opened his eyes, he squinted at me."What else did he tell you? Is there anything else?” Adrian asked me with a confused and curious face."Yes, she told me how she broke up with Hudson, and how all this madness started," I answered, I sat next to Adrian.“Hudson? What did he tell you? "He just said that, all of this has nothing to do with me, all the mistakes that exist are proof that he was guilty and negligent, he was just being hit by anxiety and worry about his life, so he finally chose a shortcut to calm himself down," said Adrian."I don't want to talk about this problem because it is Sandra's personal matter, bu
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"Whoever is stressed, it seems like he is talking about himself," I said quietly. I then closed the door and locked it.What should I do now, it was still very early, I looked in the refrigerator, there was some ice cream that I hadn't eaten. Because I was hungry, I decided to cook instant noodles.After a few minutes, the instant noodles I made were ready and I brought them in front of the television. I turned on the television and ate the noodles I made. It's really delicious.Days like this are sometimes very enjoyable, maybe you know what I mean, I haven't lived a normal life like someone without problems for a long time, so this sometimes becomes an interesting habit.Gelael sent me a message saying good morning, I ignored it. I've really decided to keep my distance from Gelael, I don't want to have to play with everything at my young age all the time.By the way, it's December 28th, it's great that Adrian is still working at the end of the year, what a busy businessman. Sometime
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We arrived at the mall where Gelael and I met again for the first time after we separated."Let's just go straight to the salon, okay? My head feels very heavy," said Sandra, she then took my hand and we started walking along the mall."So how did that happen, I really can't comment reading what you just showed me, I'm very happy," I said, Sandra's smile couldn't hide her feelings which were also very happy."Why did I ask Adrian to come home last night? Because I really opened my mind, I apologized to Adrian and asked him not to think about all the things I did, I thought there were things I had to finish before it was too late. So after Adrian came home, I immediately called Tommy and talked to him. Including my meeting with Adrian, Hudson and what just happened, maybe we talked for almost three hours, I have become relieved and open since telling you, so I am really grateful that because of you I can have the courage to admit those things. At first I was hesitant to call Tommy, but
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The safe house felt colder than usual. The air was thick with tension, the kind that settled in your bones and refused to let go. Samuel sat in the corner of the dimly lit room, his fingers lightly tapping against his knee. Evelyn was across from him, tending to Olivia, who lay on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her.Damon paced near the window, his agitation barely contained. “This doesn’t feel like a win,” he muttered. “We took out Vincent, got Olivia back, but something feels... off.”Samuel knew exactly what he meant. The words of the dying man at the warehouse still echoed in his mind. There are worse monsters coming.“We don’t have time to celebrate,” Samuel said finally. “Vincent may be dead, but that doesn’t mean we’re safe. Power like his doesn’t just disappear—it shifts.”Evelyn looked up, her expression tired but determined. “Then we make sure no one else takes it.”Damon scoffed. “That’s a nice thought, but how? We’re just four people against an entire city of crim
