2025-02-13 22:55:43The temple was quiet, yet Samuel could feel the weight of unseen eyes pressing against his skin. He stood at the edge of the sacred grounds, the jungle stretching before him like a living, breathing entity. The moonlight painted the stone pathways in pale silver, but even its glow couldn't chase away the shadows curling at the edges of his mind.
"You shouldn’t be out here alone," Sarah’s voice came from behind him.
Samuel didn’t turn. "I can’t sleep."
She stepped closer, her presence grounding him. "The whispers?"
He let out a slow breath. "They’re getting louder."
Sarah studied him for a moment before reaching for his hand. "You’re not going to lose yourself, Samuel."
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BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 66
The torches flickered against the damp walls of the temple as Samuel, Sarah, and Ethan prepared for their journey. The air was thick with tension—not just from the looming danger of the Abyssal Ruins but also from the ever-growing threat of the Brook family.They had been a thorn in Samuel’s side for years, always lurking in the background, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Now, with Samuel weakened by the Forgotten One’s influence, the Brook family’s intentions were clearer than ever."Are we just going to ignore the fact that the Brooks have spies watching us?" Ethan muttered as he adjusted the strap of his sword. "I spotted two of their men near the temple entrance earlier."Sarah tightened the buckle on her boots. "They wouldn’t be this
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 67
The wind howled through the canyons as Samuel, Sarah, and Ethan moved swiftly along the jagged path toward the Abyssal Ruins. The confrontation with Lucas Brook had left them on edge, but there was no time to dwell on it. Every second counted.“We should have killed him,” Ethan muttered, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “Lucas won’t let this go. The Brooks never do.”Sarah shot him a sharp look. “Killing him now would only bring more of them after us. We need to be smart.”Samuel remained silent, his mind tangled with darker thoughts. The Forgotten One’s presence gnawed at him, whispering things he didn’t want to hear. Lucas’s offer still lingered in his hea
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 68
Pain seared through Samuel’s veins as the poison spread, weakening his limbs. Ethan held him up, barely keeping him steady while Sarah loosed another arrow, striking down one of the approaching assassins. But they were still outnumbered, and now Lucas and Adrian had vanished into the shadows, leaving Samuel with a wound that felt like it was eating him from the inside out.The assassins moved in again, their blades gleaming under the faint moonlight.“We can’t hold them off forever,” Ethan gritted his teeth, adjusting his grip on his sword. “Samuel, you better have a miracle in you, or we’re done.”Samuel’s breath came in ragged gasps. His body felt like it was shutting down, but somewhere beneath the pain, something darker sti
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 69
Samuel’s body still tingled with the remnants of the abyss’s power, the dark energy lingering beneath his skin like a second heartbeat. Every breath felt heavier, denser, as if he were walking between two worlds—the one he knew and the one trying to consume him.Ethan kept a close eye on him, his grip tight on his sword. He had seen Samuel fight before, but never like this. Never this ruthless.Sarah, still gripping her bow, was the first to break the silence. “We need to move. If the Brooks regroup, we’re finished.”Samuel nodded, though his vision swayed slightly. The power had left him drained, but he wouldn’t stop now. He couldn’t.
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 70
Sarah tightened her grip on his arm. “You need to sit. That poison—”“I’m fine.” Samuel’s voice was rough, but the glare he shot her left no room for argument.Ethan sheathed his sword with a sharp sigh. “You’re not fine, Samuel. That blade wasn’t just poisoned—it was infused with abyss magic.”Samuel already knew. He could feel it. A slow, creeping energy coiling around his veins, trying to pull him under.And the worst part?The abyss inside him was answering.It whispered in hi
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 71
The violet in Samuel’s eyes flickered before vanishing, replaced by his usual dark irises. He sat up sharply, his breath uneven, as if he had just been dragged from the depths of an ocean.Sarah and Ethan stepped back cautiously, exchanging wary glances.“You blacked out,” Sarah said, scanning his face. “Samuel, what happened?”Samuel flexed his fingers. He could still feel it. The abyss. It had retreated—for now—but it was there, waiting just beneath the surface, whispering promises in a language he was starting to understand.“I saw it,” he murmured.Ethan’s grip on his sword tightened. “Saw what?”“The abyss. It spoke to me.” Samuel swallowed. “It… it offered me a deal.”Silence.Sarah's expression darkened. “And what did you say?”Samuel hesitated. He hadn’t accepted. Not completel
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 72
The moon cast eerie shadows, stretching unnaturally, as if reaching for him. As if the abyss itself was trying to pull him back in.Behind him, Ethan and Sarah stood in silence. The conversation from earlier still lingered in the air, unspoken but heavy.Finally, Sarah broke the quiet. “Samuel, we need a plan.”He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to focus. “The Brooks are waiting for me to break. That’s their plan. They want me to give in so they can use it against me.”Ethan crossed his arms. “Then don’t give in.”Samuel shot him a dry look. “Oh, great. Why didn’t I think of that?”Ethan’s jaw tensed. “I’m serious, Samuel. We’ve been running for days. You keep saying you’re fine, but we’re all seeing the cracks. How much longer do you think you can fight this?”Samuel’s fingers twitched. He hated that Ethan was right. He could feel it—the abyss—pulsing inside him like a second heartbeat.Sarah stepped closer, lowering her voice. “Then we turn the game around.”Samuel frowned. “How?”S
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 73
Samuel’s scream echoed into the void as his consciousness was dragged deeper into the abyss. The real world around him fractured like a shattered mirror, the Brook estate, Victor, and his allies dissolving into an unending darkness.The abyss was endless, stretching in every direction, yet it felt alive—watching him. It pulsed like a massive, slumbering beast, and with every beat, Samuel felt something awaken inside him.“Samuel…”A whisper slithered through the shadows, deep and ancient. He turned, but there was nothing—only the abyss.Then, the ground shifted beneath him, forming into something solid. A throne. Black as the void itself, carved with runes he somehow understood. It was his.His heart pounded. He clenched his fists.“No.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “I won&rsquo
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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