2025-02-25 22:20:19
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 85
Lucas adjusted his coat, watching the inferno with a smirk. “Never thought I’d see the day the Brook family fell.” Isabella, standing beside him, let out a slow breath. “We should be careful. A family like theirs doesn’t disappear without consequences.” Samuel remained silent, his gaze fixed on the destruction. He knew Isabella was right. This wasn’t the end—only the beginning of something far more dangerous. The Brook family had allies, connections that spanned across continents. Someone would come looking for retribution. And he would be ready. Before he could speak, a voice echoed through the smoke. “Samuel.” They all turned. From the remains of the estate, a lone figure emerged. Bloodied, barely able to stand, yet his eyes still burned with unrelenting rage. Damian Brook had survived. Samuel tilted his head, amused. “Still breathing?” Damian coughed, his hand pressed against a wound on his side. “You think this is a victory?” His voice was hoarse, but his determin
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 86
The city was eerily silent after the battle. The ruins of the Brook estate smoldered, ashes floating into the night air like lost souls. Samuel stood in the wreckage, his mind sharp despite the exhaustion gnawing at his bones. He had won—for now. But he knew Damian’s words weren’t empty threats. Something darker had awakened. Lucas kicked a broken piece of stone. “So, what now? We wait for another monster to crawl out of the ground?” Isabella crossed her arms. “You felt it too, didn’t you, Samuel?” Samuel nodded, his jaw tightening. “Damian wasn’t just bluffing. The magic he used—it wasn’t just a summoning. It was a gateway.” Lucas groaned. “Great. More supernatural nonsense.” “This isn’t just nonsense,” Isabella snapped. “This city was built on ancient power, and we just shook the foundations. The Brook family was guarding something, whether they knew it or not.” Samuel turned away from the wreckage, his expression unreadable. “We need information.” Isabella frowned. “W
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 87
The darkness twisted around them, shifting and morphing into grotesque figures. Shadows came alive, forming humanoid shapes with glowing eyes, their movements eerily fluid, like smoke given form. The air hummed with unseen energy, sending shivers down Samuel’s spine. Lucas swore under his breath. “I hate magic.” Victor smirked, but his hand was already on his cane, a sure sign that things were about to turn violent. “Then you’re going to have a miserable time, my friend.” Samuel stepped forward, his muscles coiled, ready for whatever this cursed place threw at them. “Enough stalling. If they want a fight, we give them one.” The shadowy figures lunged. Samuel reacted instinctively, dodging the first strike as a clawed hand slashed through the air where he had been standing. He countered with a punch, his fist connecting with something solid despite the creature being made of pure darkness. The thing screeched, recoiling, but more of them were already closing in. Isabella mo
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 88
Eleanor stepped away from the fireplace, her sharp green eyes scanning each of them. “You need to understand something before we move forward. The Brook estate isn’t just heavily guarded—it’s enchanted. There are spells woven into its very foundation, layers upon layers of magical defenses that have been in place for centuries.”Lucas let out a low whistle. “Great. So we’re breaking into an impenetrable fortress. Sounds like a suicide mission.”Victor chuckled, leaning on his cane. “You’re forgetting, dear Lucas. The best locks are only as strong as the one holding the key.” He turned to Eleanor. “Tell me, does the Brook family still have their infamous bloodline wards in place?”Eleanor nodded. “They do. Only a direct descendant can bypass the first layer of enchantments.”Isabella’s expression darkened. “Then we need a Brook.”Silence fell over the room as the realization sank in. They would need someone from the very family they were trying to stop.Samuel folded his arms. “There’s
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 89
Sophia leaned back in her chair, her piercing blue eyes scanning each of them as a slow smirk formed on her lips. “Breaking into the Brook estate is suicide. You do know that, right?”Samuel didn’t flinch. “We don’t have a choice.”Sophia chuckled, shaking her head. “There’s always a choice, sweetheart. The problem is, you don’t have the luxury of picking the easy one.”Lucas groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Can we skip the dramatics? We know you’re the only one who can get us in. So either you’re in, or we find another way.”Sophia tilted her head, amusement dancing in her gaze. “There is no other way. And lucky for you, I hate my family enough to consider this insanity.”Isabella crossed her arms. “Then let’s get to it. How do we bypass the estate’s defenses?”Sophia stood, walking toward the window. “The first layer of protection is the bloodline wards. That part is easy for me to bypass since, well… I’m one of them.” She glanced over her shoulder. “But the second layer i
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 90
The air in the ballroom felt heavier, the eerie presence of the Revenant weaving its way through the crowd like a phantom. No one acknowledged its presence, yet every guest instinctively avoided its path, their masked faces turned away as if ignoring it would make it disappear.Samuel kept his stance firm, his fingers subtly adjusting the cuffs of his suit as he stole a glance at Sophia. Her face remained unreadable, but he caught the slight clench of her jaw—a sign she was calculating her next move.Lucas leaned in slightly, his voice barely above a whisper. “Tell me again how we’re supposed to pull this off when death incarnate is walking around like it owns the place?”Sophia didn’t flinch. “We follow the plan. I disable the wards while you all secure the ledger from Damian’s office.”Samuel’s gaze flickered toward Damian, who was still at the center of the ballroom, conversing with a group of powerful elites. His posture was relaxed, his charming demeanor a stark contrast to the m
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 91
Samuel kept his strides steady, his mind racing as he processed everything that had just happened. The Revenant, Damian’s awareness of their plan, and most importantly, whatever the hell Sophia had just done.She walked ahead, her shoulders squared, but Samuel could tell she wasn’t as composed as she appeared.Lucas caught up beside him, glancing back at the estate before muttering, “That was too close.”“No kidding,” Isabella chimed in. “We were one second away from becoming that thing’s next meal.”Samuel didn’t respond. Instead, he watched as Sophia reached the car, pausing before she opened the door. Her fingers trembled slightly.Not noticeable to anyone else.But Samuel saw it.She was still feeling the effects of whatever magic she had tapped into.He walked over, keeping his voice low. “You okay?”Sophia exhaled through her nose, shaking off whatever was lingering in her system. “I had to do something, Samuel. Damian wasn’t going to let us walk out of there.”He nodded. “I kno
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 92
Samuel stood in the center of the dimly lit room, his mind sharp as he processed the latest turn of events. Damian had countered them faster than expected, which meant two things—he was prepared, and he wasn’t going to play defense anymore. This was no longer a silent war fought in the shadows. It was about to get violent. Lucas’ fingers flew over the keyboard, trying to regain access to the Zurich account. “They’re good, but I can still mess with them,” he muttered, sweat beading on his forehead. “I can’t freeze the account completely anymore, but I can make transactions look suspicious enough to get flagged. If the bank starts an internal audit, Damian will be locked out for at least twenty-four hours.” Sophia crossed her arms, her jaw set. “Do it.” Lucas let out a shaky breath. “Alright, done. Now we wait and see how Damian reacts.” Samuel didn’t like waiting. Every second they spent waiting was a second Damian could use to retaliate. And knowing the Brook family, their r
Latest Chapter
118
The aftermath of William Brook’s fall left an eerie silence in the grand hall. Smoke curled from the scorched remnants of his body, his power having disintegrated beneath Samuel’s attack. But despite the victory, the tension in the air remained thick, as though the battle had only scratched the surface of something much bigger.Evelyn stepped beside Samuel, her expression unreadable. “You look like you’re expecting another ghost to jump out of the shadows.”Samuel didn’t respond immediately. His senses were on high alert, his instincts telling him this wasn’t over. The Brook family wouldn’t take William’s downfall lightly. If anything, they’d retaliate with fury.“We need to move,” Samuel said, voice firm. “Now.”Evelyn smirked but followed as he strode out of the ruined hall. The moment they stepped into the corridor, the weight of their situation settled. The estate, once a stronghold of wealth and power, now felt like a battlefield.As they walked, Evelyn broke the silence. “So, wh
117
Samuel stood at the center, his eyes dark with unreadable emotions, while the Brook family loomed over the negotiation table like vultures circling a fresh kill.“I don’t think you understand the weight of what you’re asking, Mr. Brook,” Samuel said, voice calm but edged with steel.Across from him, William Brook smirked, fingers tapping rhythmically against the armrest of his chair. “Oh, I understand perfectly,” he mused. “What I don’t understand is why you’re hesitating. A merger between our companies would be beneficial for both sides. And yet, you seem... resistant.”Samuel’s jaw tightened. This wasn’t just a business deal. The Brook family had been subtly moving against him for months, and now, they were making their power play. He wasn’t going to let them win.“I have no interest in merging with a family that has done everything in its power to sabotage mine,” Samuel said coldly.“You wound me,” William chuckled, leaning back. “This isn’t about the past, Samuel. It’s about the f
116
Vincent, still clutching his gun, scanned the perimeter of the room before finally lowering it. "We should be safe here for now."Evelyn rubbed her temples, her fingers trembling. "For now? That's not exactly reassuring. Those echoes... that wasn’t normal. Not even for this."Thorne stood near the doorway, his gaze distant. "It was an aftershock. The Devourer may be bound, but its influence lingers. The echoes were proof of that."Sophia crossed her arms. "Great. So what do we do? Just sit here and wait for another nightmare to show up?""No," Thorne said simply. "We need to sever the last ties."Samuel looked up. "Ties? You mean, there’s still something linking this place to the Devourer?"Thorne nodded. "The remnants of its presence don’t just vanish. The echoes were drawn to us because we disrupted something ancient. If we don’t finish what we started, this will happen again. And next time, we might not be able to outrun it."A heavy silence settled over the room.Vincent finally s
115
The group moved quickly through the desolate landscape, the weight of what had just happened pressing down on them. The air still held the remnants of the Devourer’s presence, thick and suffocating. Samuel kept a firm grip on Mercer’s arm, making sure he stayed steady.Mercer, though exhausted, still managed to crack a weak smile. “You planning to hold onto me forever?”Samuel scoffed but didn’t let go. “You can barely stand.”Mercer sighed but didn’t argue. His body was covered in bruises, his clothes tattered, and his skin was still marked with faint traces of the dark tendrils that had bound him to the Devourer.Vincent led the way, his gun still drawn, eyes sharp and scanning the area for any threats. Evelyn walked beside him, her hands trembling slightly, though she tried to hide it. Sophia was a few steps ahead of Samuel and Mercer, her grip still tight on the dagger, ready for anything.Thorne, as always, was eerily calm, his presence steady. “We need to move faster,” he said.
114
The second eye blinked open, followed by a third, then a fourth. The Devourer’s presence spread, a suffocating force pressing down on Samuel’s chest. The symbols on the ground pulsed in response, flickering like a heartbeat.Sophia’s grip tightened on the dagger she held, ready to intervene if things went wrong. Vincent and Marcus stood at the edge of the ritual circle, their eyes locked on Samuel, prepared for anything.The Devourer’s voice slithered through the air. “You… are tethered to the one we hold.”Samuel swallowed hard. “Yes.”The entity’s gaze burned through him, its presence creeping into the depths of his mind, sifting through his memories, his emotions, his very essence. A wave of nausea rolled through him as the connection strengthened.“You offer yourself?”Samuel’s fingers curled into fists. “I do.”Evelyn’s chanting shifted, the cadence growing sharper, more forceful. The mimic ritual had to remain convincing, and that meant making the Devourer believe it was getting
113
The weight of Thorne’s words settled over them like a suffocating fog. A willing sacrifice.Samuel’s fingers curled into fists as he stared at the page in front of him. The ancient symbols meant nothing to him, but the implications were clear. To sever the Devourer’s connection to its feeding ground, someone had to die.“That’s not an option,” Sophia said, shaking her head. “There has to be another way.”Thorne leaned back in his chair, watching them with a measured gaze. “If there was, I would tell you. But Devourers are ancient creatures, bound by deep-rooted laws of existence. To break their hold, something of equal value must be given in return.”Vincent scoffed. “So you’re saying the only way to save Mercer is for one of us to die? Not happening.”Thorne sighed. “I understand your reluctance. But this is not a simple monster you can kill with bullets or fire. Devourers are entities of hunger and power. If you go in unprepared, you won’t just lose Mercer—you’ll all become part of
112
Marcus kept one hand on the wheel while his other gripped his phone tightly. “We need to move fast,” he muttered. “The Brook family won’t just sit back and let us find Mercer first.”Samuel exhaled slowly. “Then we beat them to it. Whatever’s up there in that village, it’s dangerous. But Mercer is still alive. I can feel it.”Vincent scoffed from the backseat. “Feel it? Or just hoping?”Samuel ignored him. He wasn’t about to explain the gnawing pull in his chest, the unshakable certainty that Mercer was still out there, barely clinging to life.Sophia shifted uncomfortably beside him. “That thing in the village… It wasn’t human, was it?”Evelyn, who had been silent the entire drive, finally spoke. “No. It wasn’t.” Her voice was unusually quiet. “I’ve read about things like this before, but seeing it in person is something else.”Marcus frowned. “Read about it? What was it?”Evelyn hesitated before answering. “There are stories of ancient beings bound to certain places, creatures that
111
The wind howled through the ruins, carrying an eerie whisper that sent a chill down Samuel’s spine. The inhuman eye within the darkness remained fixed on them, unblinking, filled with a hunger that made the air itself tremble.Sophia gripped Samuel’s arm, her breath shallow. “Samuel… what is that?”Vincent stepped forward, drawing his gun. “I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”Marcus cursed under his breath. “We need to get out of here. Now.”The trembling man on the ground clutched at Samuel’s sleeve. “You can’t fight it,” he rasped. “You can only run.”Evelyn narrowed her eyes at the shifting darkness. “No. We don’t run. We face it.”As if responding to her defiance, the shadows coiled like living tendrils, stretching toward them. Samuel barely had time to pull Sophia back before the darkness lashed out, striking the ground where she had just been standing. The impact left a deep crack in the earth, radiating an unnatural heat.“That’s not normal,” Vincent muttered.The villagers had
110
The moment they stepped onto the tarmac, a biting cold wind greeted them, carrying the scent of damp earth and something else—something older, almost metallic, like the air before a storm.Samuel adjusted the collar of his coat, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar terrain. He wasn’t the only one on edge. Sophia wrapped her arms around herself, glancing toward Marcus."Are you sure your contact knows where Mercer is?" she asked, her voice hushed.Marcus checked his phone, his fingers typing rapidly. “He says Mercer was last seen near a village deep in the mountains. But it won’t be easy to reach. The roads are dangerous, and the locals avoid that area.”Vincent scoffed. “Of course they do. Let me guess—ghost stories? Cursed land?”Evelyn, standing slightly apart from the group, tilted her head. “It’s not just stories,” she murmured. “There are things in these mountains older than any of us.”Vincent rolled his eyes. “Great. More cryptic warnings. Love that.”Marcus ignored him and motione
