CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY NINE

The warm morning air carried the scent of jasmine and wisteria, a sweet, heady fragrance that danced around Xander as he stood on the balcony with Lina. He held her hand, her fingers slender and cool against his palm, and his gaze swept across the bustling city below. The vibrant lights of the city throbbed like a giant, pulsing heart, a constant reminder of the life he had built, the life he was about to build with Lina.

The ring, a band of polished silver etched with intricate symbols, sat comfortably on his finger. It was the ring that had shielded him from harm, the ring that had made him feel untouchable, a beacon of power that he could draw on. The ring was a constant reminder of his escape, his journey from a humble, forgotten corner of the city to the heart of its power, a rise that was as unlikely as it was exhilarating.

But as he watched the twinkling lights and felt Lina's closeness, he felt a different kind of power, a warmth that spread through him like a gentle flame. It