At fourteen, Kade Hollow watched his family die. And he couldn’t stop it.

Framed for the murders, he was thrown into Asheville’s most dangerous prison. They expected it to break him.

But instead…

Ten years later Kade Hollow is free. And the seven people who destroyed his family are about to find out exactly what they created.

King of Tartarus

“Kill him!”

“Break his bones!”

“Show him who runs this place!”

Chaos erupted inside Tartarus, the most dangerous prison in Asheville. A concrete graveyard built to contain the worst monsters humanity had ever produced.

Today, a new one had arrived.

A hulking inmate stood in the center of the yard, veins bulging beneath tattooed skin. His prison uniform was already soaked in blood.

“RAAAH!” he roared, lifting a battered inmate above his head before hurling him across the corridor. The man crashed violently against the steel bars of Cell 001 and crumpled to the floor.

“I’m the new King of Tartarus!”

His name was Giovani Moretti.

Convicted of massacring over three hundred people. Sentenced to one thousand years without parole. He had arrived five hours ago.

Fourteen inmates were already in the infirmary.

The rest watched in silence.

Even in a prison filled with murderers, traffickers, war criminals, and psychopaths… Giovani was something else.

“Who else wants to challenge me?!” he bellowed, kicking over a metal bench. It skidded across the floor and slammed against Cell 001’s door.

The corridor fell quiet. Then…

The steel door of Cell 001 clicked. It opened slowly.

A young man stepped out.

Early twenties. Tall. Lean. Messy black hair falling over tired steel-blue eyes. He looked like someone who had just been dragged from a dream he wasn’t ready to leave.

He yawned.

This was Kade Hollow.

Inmate 001.

He stretched slightly, rolling his shoulders.

“Hey, bulldog,” Kade said calmly. “I’m trying to take a nap.”

The entire block froze.

Giovani’s smile vanished. “Kid… are you talking to me?”

Kade yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Who else has been barking? Keep it down before I pull out your throat.”

Several inmates instinctively stepped back.

Not because of Giovani.

Because of Kade.

Giovani’s jaw tightened. “You’ve got a death wish.”

He had crushed fourteen men without effort. No one had even looked him in the eye. And this brat dared insult him?

“I’ll grant it.”

He lunged.

The concrete cracked beneath his step as he drove a full-force punch toward Kade’s head.

Bam.

The punch stopped. Giovani blinked.

Kade had raised one hand.

One finger.

That single finger pressed against Giovani’s fist and halted it completely.

Giovani’s eyes widened. He pushed harder. The finger didn’t move.

“You could’ve behaved like a good dog,” Kade said lightly. “But you chose not to.”

He removed his finger from Giovani’s knuckles and casually pointed at his forehead.

“I’ll fix that. So you don’t go biting people around.”

He flicked his finger.

Boom.

A shockwave tore through the corridor. Giovani’s head detonated instantly, a violent burst of force ripping through the air. Blood mist and wind blasted outward, rattling the cell bars.

The body collapsed.

Silence swallowed Tartarus.

Kade glanced around, eyes half-closed again.

“Finally,” he muttered. “Now I can sleep.”

The inmates stood frozen.

Kade’s gaze sharpened slightly. He pointed at one of them. “You. Clean this up.”

Then he looked at the rest.

“Back to your cells. I’m taking a nap. I don’t want to hear a single sound.”

“Yes, Master Kade!” they all shouted in unison

Tartarus had been lawless long before Kade Hollow stepped inside its walls.

From the day it was built, it was nothing more than a cage for monsters too dangerous for ordinary prisons. Murderers. Cartel leaders. War criminals. Human traffickers. Men whose names had once dominated headlines before they vanished behind concrete and steel.

Even the police department had lost control over it years ago.

Guards didn’t patrol the inner blocks alone. Sirens and lockdown alarms were daily occurrences. Blood on the floor was routine.

Until Kade arrived.

He was only Sixteen when he entered Tartarus.

Within three years, the riots stopped.

Within five, gang leaders bowed.

Within eight… Tartarus had a king.

Kade didn’t rule with speeches or alliances. He ruled with overwhelming force and absolute precision. Men twice his size had tested him. Some left the infirmary. Others left in body bags.

But brute strength wasn’t the only reason the prison feared him.

Kade healed.

Broken ribs. Dislocated shoulders. Internal bleeding the prison doctors overlooked. He treated them all with techniques no one understood. His hands could cripple… and they could restore. He was nicknamed The Hand of God.

The inmates feared him. They respected him.

And strangely…

They trusted him.

Even the guards moved differently around Cell 001.

Even the Warden addressed him carefully.

Without Kade Hollow, Tartarus would have devoured itself years ago.

The steel corridor grew quiet as Kade stepped toward his cell.

He rolled his shoulder slightly, as if irritated the fight had interrupted his rest.

Just as he reached the door—

“Mr. Hollow.”

Kade stopped. He turned slowly.

Standing at the end of the corridor was a man in his early fifties, posture straight despite the exhaustion in his eyes. Two officers stood stiffly behind him.

Warden Jeffrey Sky.

The most powerful authority inside Tartarus.

“I need a minute with you,” Jeffrey said, voice unusually polite.

Kade frowned faintly.

“Whatever you have to say can wait,” he replied calmly. “I haven’t finished my nap.”

He pushed the cell door open.

Then…

A heavy sound echoed through the corridor.

Thud.

Kade paused. He turned back.

Jeffrey Sky was on his knees.

The two officers behind him froze in shock. Even some of the inmates couldn’t believe their eyes.

“Please…” the Warden said, lowering his head.

“My daughter has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder. Seizures. Organ failure. No hospital in Asheville can figure out what’s wrong.”

His voice trembled, but he forced himself to continue.

“I know what they say about you. I’ve seen it myself. You’ve saved men who were already declared dead. If there’s anyone who can save her…”

He clenched his fists against the concrete.

“It’s you. The Hand of God”

Silence filled the hallway.

The inmates watching from their cells didn’t dare breathe.

The most powerful man in Tartarus was kneeling.

Kade’s eyes hardened slightly.

“Why,” he asked quietly, “should I help you… after everything you’ve done?”

Jeffrey’s shoulders stiffened.

The Hollow Incident

Ten years ago.

The Hollow estate.

It had been past midnight.

The family was asleep when the explosion tore through the front wing of the mansion. Windows shattered. Smoke filled the corridors. The sound of gunfire followed seconds later.

Security guards didn’t stand a chance.

They were slaughtered before they could return fire.

Kade’s parents burst into his bedroom. His father grabbed his shoulder while his mother rushed to his little sister.

“Kade. Sofia,” his mother whispered urgently. “No matter what happens, you stay in this room. Do you understand?”

“Daddy and I will handle it,” his father added, forcing a calm smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Kade was shaking.

He held his sister tightly as their parents stepped out and closed the door behind them.

The gunshots grew louder. Voices echoed through the hallway, Sofia buried her face into Kade’s chest. He couldn’t breathe. He moved slowly toward the door. Just enough for him to see through the small opening, he watched his parents forced onto their knees in the hallway, surrounded by masked gunmen dressed in black tactical gear.

“Please,” his father said, voice steady despite the blood trickling down his forehead. “You can take anything you want. Money. Documents. Just let my family go.”

One of the gunmen tilted his head.

“We’ve already been paid,” he replied coldly. “And our job is to eliminate you.”

BAM.

The shot echoed like thunder.

Kade’s mother collapsed instantly, a dark stain spreading across the marble floor.

His father roared in fury and lunged forward. He managed to knock one gunman off balance, the pistol flying from the man’s grip and sliding across the floor—

Stopping inches from Kade’s door.

Then—

BAM.

BAM.

BAM.

Three bullets tore into his father’s back.

He fell forward. Blood pooling beneath him.

Kade’s vision blurred. His ears rang.

His entire body trembled—but no scream came out. But he could feel something violent, creeping out of him.

He pushed the door open fully and stepped into the hallway.

The fallen gun was right there.

He picked it up with shaking hands.

“I’M GONNA KILL YOU ALL!” He screamed pointing the gun at the criminals.

The gunmen turned toward him.

For a brief second, they were stunned.

A fourteen-year-old boy stood in the smoke-filled hallway, trembling, holding a pistol far too big for his shaking hands.

“Boss,” one of the men muttered, glancing at Kade. “What do we do with the kids?”

The leader didn’t hesitate.

“Shoot him.”

Before the man could raise his weapon—

WEEEEEOOOOO—

Sirens wailed from outside the estate.

Red and blue lights flashed through shattered windows.

“The cops are here!” one of them hissed.

The leader cursed. “Move! Now!”

“What about the kids?”

The leader’s eyes were cold behind his mask.

“There’s a timed bomb in the building. It’ll go off in three minutes. They won’t survive.”

They began retreating toward the rear exit.

But as the last man turned—

“I won’t let you escape!” Kade screamed.

His finger pulled the trigger.

BAM!

The recoil nearly knocked him backward, but the bullet struck cleanly through the man’s leg.

The assassin collapsed with a howl of pain. The others hesitated for half a second. But survival meant more than loyalty. They ran. Leaving him behind.

“Arghhh!” the wounded man screamed, clutching his shattered leg.

Kade rushed forward, fury drowning his fear. He aimed the gun directly at the man’s chest.

“You killed my mom!” His voice cracked violently. “I won’t spare you!”

The assassin reached toward him weakly. “Drop the gun, you stupid kid—”

BAM.

BAM.

BAM.

BAM.

Kade emptied the entire magazine.

The hallway fell silent except for the ringing in his ears.

The man’s body was motionless.

Blood spread across the marble floor.

Heavy boots thundered into the estate.

“Police! Drop the weapon!”

Kade slowly turned.

Officers stood at the shattered entrance, weapons raised.

A younger Jefferey Sky stood among them. Just a junior officer at that time.

They saw:

A fourteen-year-old boy.

Covered in blood. Holding a gun. Surrounded by corpses.

“Put the weapon down!” an officer shouted.

Kade dropped it instantly.

“They killed them!” he cried out, pointing desperately toward his parents’ bodies. “They killed my mom and dad! They planted a bomb—they’re still inside—my sister is upstairs!”

The officers exchanged looks.

One of them muttered, “Jesus…”

Another whispered, “He snapped.”

“He’s possessed by the devil.”

Two officers grabbed him roughly.

“No! Listen to me!” Kade struggled. “There were masked men—they shot them! My sister—Sofia is still inside!”

Officer Sky stepped closer, eyes scanning the scene.

The dead gunman at Kade’s feet. The pistol. The angle of the shots. No other attackers in sight. No surveillance footage active.

It looked simple. Too simple. They labeled it a ‘Psychotic break’.

“Secure him,” Sky ordered quietly.

For the first time that night—

Tears rolled down Kade’s face.

“They killed them…” he whispered. “I was trying to save them…”

And then—

BOOOOOOM!

The explosion ripped through the upper floor.

Flames burst from the windows. The blast knocked officers off their feet. Smoke swallowed the house.

Sofia never made it out.

Fourteen-year-old Kade Hollow was charged with multiple counts of homicide and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Declared unstable. Violent. A danger to society.

He was sent to juvenile detention.

But even there—

They couldn’t control him.

Older teenagers tried to intimidate him.

He broke arms, cracked ribs, left bullies unconscious on concrete floors. He refused to bow. Refused to be prey.

Within two years, the facility labeled him “extreme risk.”

At sixteen—

In a move almost unheard of—

Kade Hollow was transferred to Tartarus.

The prison for monsters.

That was where he met the old man. That no one spoke to, or even went close to. He stayed in the far corner of the yard, eyes half-closed, as if asleep.

The first time Kade approached him, he didn’t speak.

He simply placed his untouched meal tray beside him.

The old man opened one eye.

“You’re either foolish,” he said quietly, “or different.”

Kade sat down beside him.

“I don’t like wasting food.”

A faint smile crossed the old man’s face.

From that day forward—

The old man began to teach him.

Not just how to fight. But how to see.

He taught him martial arts beyond modern systems.

Breathing methods that sharpened the mind.

Secret techniques that could shatter bone with minimal movement.

The Five Dragon Claws Techniques.

And medicine that surpassed all modern understanding. That was when the Hand of God was born.

Departure of The King

“You knew the truth… and yet you still couldn’t deliver justice.”

Kade’s voice was low. And yet authoritative.

Jeffrey Sky lowered his head even further, his palms pressed flat against the cold concrete.

“I… I was ordered to arrest you,” he said hoarsely. “From the first night, I knew something was wrong. The ballistics didn’t match. The CCTV camera captured everything. But the report was sealed before sunrise. I was told to sign it… and stay silent.”

“You obeyed,” Kade replied.

It wasn’t a question.

Jeffrey’s shoulders trembled. “I had a family. A career. I was warned that if I spoke out—”

Kade’s gaze sharpened.

“So you traded justice for comfort.”

The words landed heavier than any blow. “Didn’t you think about my own family?”

The two officers behind the Warden felt sweat beads at their temples. They had never seen their superior kneel before anyone. Never seen him look this small.

“Please,” Jeffrey whispered. “I cannot change the past. But I can beg you now. My daughter is dying.”

Kade turned away.

“Leave,” he said calmly. “I’m not interested in this conversation anymore. Find another way to save her.”

He stepped toward Cell 001.

“What if I grant you your freedom?”

The words echoed sharply through the corridor.

The two officers gasped.

“W–Warden?!” one of them stammered.

Kade Hollow had been sentenced to life imprisonment. With no parole or appeal. His case had been sealed under national authority.

Jeffrey’s offer was outrageous.

Kade stopped mid-step.

He turned slowly.

This time, there was visible irritation in his expression.

“I would have walked out of this prison the moment I wished,” he said evenly. “I remained here by my own decision. There isn’t a single wall in Tartarus that can contain me. Not a thousand guards. Not electrified fences. Not the armed towers.”

His eyes swept across the corridor.

“And certainly not you. Don’t insult me by thinking my freedom is in your hands.”

The temperature in the hallway seemed to drop.

Jeffrey swallowed.

He knew it was true.

Tartarus housed over a thousand armed guards, surveillance systems, automated lockdown protocols—

And none of it mattered.

The real reason the prison was stable…

Was standing in front of him.

Kade Hollow.

The true King of Tartarus.

To the outside world, Jeffrey Sky was the man who kept monsters in chains.

Inside these walls? Everyone knew who ruled.

Kade had planned his departure long ago.

But after meeting the old man, everything changed.

He needed years to master the Five Dragon Claws techniques. He had only recently mastered the Fifth Claw technique.

The final movement that allowed his energy to stabilize at the Celestial Realm.

He had needed time to polish his foundation.

Time to ensure that when he stepped back into the world…

No one could stop him.

Jeffrey wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Offering freedom had been his final bargaining chip.

Any other inmate would have clawed at the opportunity. But Kade was different.

“If you have nothing else to say,” Kade said flatly, “leave.”

The officers stiffened, nearly losing control of their composure.

Jeffrey clenched his fists.

He had one card left.

“I can give you information,” he said quickly. “About that night.”

Kade didn’t move.

But something shifted.

“…What information?”

“The case file was altered,” Jeffrey continued. “There was a name in the sealed authorization order. A signature from above. I wasn’t allowed to investigate further—but I saw it before the file was classified.”

Silence.

For the first time since Jeffrey arrived…

Kade’s full attention settled on him.

“How much do you know?” Kade asked.

“Enough,” Jeffrey said, lifting his head slightly. “Enough to give you a direction.”

Kade’s gaze darkened.

For ten years, he had prepared. He had trained. He had endured.

But revenge without direction was a waste of time.

The organization that slaughtered his family had erased every trace of themselves. Surveillance corrupted. Witnesses silenced. Evidence manipulated.

Even with Celestial-level strength…

Hunting ghosts would take years.

But a name? That was different. Several seconds passed.

Then—

“Make arrangements,” Kade said calmly. “We leave now.”

Jeffrey’s breath hitched. Relief flooded his face.

“Thank you… thank you,” he said quickly, rising to his feet. “I’ll prepare the release documentation immediately.”

He turned and hurried down the corridor, the two officers scrambling after him.

And for the first time in ten years—

The King of Tartarus was about to step outside its walls.

Within minutes the news spread through the whole prison block. Jefferey had prepared the necessary documents, which Kade signed declaring him legally free. He was offered new clothes.

The moment Kade stepped out to the yard, silence rolled across the prison like a wave.

Then it happened. One by one. Row by row.

Thousands of inmates dropped to their knees.

Hardened killers. Gang leaders. Former mercenaries. Men who feared nothing.

They bowed their heads.

“Farewell, King.”

“We will miss you.”

“Safe journey, King Kade.”

The sound echoed against the concrete walls.

Even the watchtowers went quiet.

Kade looked over them. For ten years, he had lived among them. The world outside called them monsters. Animals. Trash that deserved to die.

But Kade had seen the truth.

Some were born in war zones, some were crushed by poverty, some were pushed into crime by systems designed to keep them down.

Yes, they had blood on their hands.

But most of them had never been given a real choice. He understood them. That was why they followed him.

Kade stepped forward, his presence alone forcing the yard into complete silence.

“Listen carefully,” he said.

His voice was calm, but it carried to every corner.

“I’m leaving. That doesn’t mean chaos returns.”

They all listened.

“No pointless fights. No killing for pride. No harming the weak inside these walls.”

Several men clenched their fists, holding back emotion.

“You survived because you adapted. You endured because you disciplined yourselves. Keep doing that.”

His eyes hardened slightly.

“I don’t want to hear that Tartarus fell apart the moment I stepped out.”

A few of the most feared inmates, men covered in scars and tattoos, lowered their heads deeper.

Some of them were crying.

“Train,” Kade continued. “Control your rage. Protect those who can’t protect themselves. When your time comes to walk out of here, walk out stronger than when you entered.”

His gaze swept across them one last time.

“Don’t disappoint me.”

A rough chorus answered him.

“We won’t!”

“We swear it!”

“We won’t disgrace your name!”

Even the guards were stunned.

Jefferey stood frozen near the gate. He had spent decades managing prisons.

He had seen riots, massacres, gang wars.

He had never seen thousands of violent criminals kneel willingly to one man.

He had never seen beasts tamed without chains. Kade was beyond a man.

Then slowly, the giant gate opened as Kade and Jefferey stepped outside Tartarus.

How can an ex convict cure her?

For ten years, Kade had finally seen the outside world. He stood beneath an open sky.

For a long moment, he didn’t move. His eyes rested on the asphalt stretching beyond Tartarus’ massive gates.

They took ten years from me. His jaw tightened slightly. They stole his childhood. His name. His future.

A dark, simmering vengeance coiled through his veins like a living thing.

And I will take everything back.

“Shall we go ahead?” Jeffrey asked politely, careful with his tone.

Kade gave a small nod.

A black SUV waited outside the prison gates. Armed guards opened the door respectfully.

Jeffrey instinctively moved toward the back seat—

But paused.

Kade had already taken the rear executive seat without hesitation.

Jeffrey quietly followed, sitting beside him.

The driver entered and the vehicle pulled away smoothly, leaving Tartarus behind.

An hour later, the SUV stopped in front of South City’s most prestigious private hospital.

Glass towers, private security. This was a hospital only the elites could afford.

Jeffrey stepped out first and personally opened Kade’s door.

Nurses in the lobby froze.

Some recognized the Warden immediately.

Others stared at Kade — tall, composed, dressed simply yet carrying an indescribable presence.

They moved quickly through the corridors until they reached a private VIP ward.

Jeffrey opened the door.

Inside—

A girl lay pale against white sheets. Seventeen years old. She had delicate features and her breathing was hollow. Beside her sat an elegant woman in her early forties, posture straight despite obvious exhaustion.

At the foot of the bed stood a senior physician in his late fifties, wearing an expensive tailored coat over his lab uniform. His expression was already irritated.

“Honey,” Jeffrey said, stepping forward with urgency. “I’ve arrived. I brought someone who can save Priscilla.”

Vanessa looked up.Her gaze shifted to Kade as if she was studying him. Then she paused and frowned.

The doctor turned slowly, scanning Kade from head to toe.

Silence filled the room.

“…This?” the doctor asked flatly.

Vanessa’s voice was calm but edged with disbelief. “Jeffrey… who is this young man?”

Jeffrey swallowed. “He’s—”

“A consultant?” the doctor cut in dryly. “From which institution? I don’t recall requesting assistance.”

Kade remained silent, observing the room.

Jeffrey cleared his throat. “He’s not from a hospital.”

Vanessa’s expression hardened.

“What does that mean?”

Jeffrey forced the words out. “He has saved many lives in Tartarus.”

The doctor blinked once.

“…Tartarus?” he repeated.

Vanessa slowly stood.

“You brought a prisoner from Tartarus here?” she asked quietly. Everyone knew whoever comes from Tartarus was nothing less than a monster.

“He’s no longer a prisoner,” Jeffrey said quickly. “He was wrongly accused—”

“A former convict,” the doctor snapped, stepping forward. “And you think someone with no medical license, no academic training, no credentials, can succeed where I and a board of specialists have failed?”

His voice rose with offense.

“This is an insult to the medical profession!”

Vanessa looked at her husband as if he had lost his mind.

“You replaced certified experts with… a boy?” she said, disbelief heavy in her tone. “Jeffrey, do you realize how this looks?”

As everyone in the medical field knows. Age meant experience, so a young person was obviously considered inexperienced.

And Kade looked no older than twenty-four. To them, he was a reckless gamble.

Jeffrey tried to explain. “You don’t understand. He’s different. I’ve seen what he can do. Men declared dead—”

“With prison tricks?” the doctor scoffed. “Improvised bandages? Street remedies?”

His eyes sharpened at Kade.

“Young man, do you even understand the severity of her condition?”

Kade finally spoke. With a calm and unbothered tone. “If you don’t want me here, I’ll leave.”

“I don’t waste time arguing with an inexperienced doctor who can’t even cure a simple illness.”

The words fell like a hammer.

Jeffrey gasped. Vanessa’s eyes widened slightly.

The doctor’s face flushed red.

“Simple?!” he barked. “No hospital in this city has identified her condition! We’ve consulted specialists overseas!”

“And yet,” Kade replied coolly, glancing once at the girl on the bed, “you still haven’t noticed what’s wrong.”

The arrogance was unbearable.

“You arrogant child—” the doctor began.

“It’s Meridian Vein Collapse,” Kade interrupted calmly.

Everyone in the room froze.

Kade continued as if reciting something elementary.

“Her life force is being blocked at three primary junctions, heart channel, solar plexus, and lower core. That’s why her blood work appears normal while her organs slowly weaken. You’ve been treating symptoms. Not the cause.”

Vanessa’s breath hitched.

The doctor’s eyes narrowed.

“How would you possibly know that?” he demanded.

Kade’s gaze didn’t waver.

“I knew the moment I stepped into the room.”

Jeffrey stared at him in disbelief.

Vanessa looked between the two men. For the first time… Hope flickered in her eyes.

The doctor recovered quickly.

“That’s absurd,” he snapped. “Meridian Vein Collapse isn’t a recognized medical condition. You’re inventing terminology to sound convincing.”

His voice sharpened with disdain.

“There is no such diagnosis in modern medicine.”

He stepped forward coldly.

“You’re making it up.”

And just like that—

The fragile hope in the room trembled. Vanessa’s fingers tightened around her daughter’s hand. The heart monitor continued its steady, fragile rhythm.

Jeffrey stepped forward.

“Enough,” he said firmly. “We are giving him a chance.”

“Jeffrey!” Vanessa snapped. “Have you completely lost your mind?”

“If anything happens to Priscilla,” she continued, her voice trembling but sharp, “I will never forgive you.”

The doctor adjusted his glasses, anger barely restrained. “Warden Sky, this is madness. You are allowing an unlicensed ex-convict to experiment on a critical patient inside my hospital.”

He looked at Kade with pure contempt.

“This is a scam. He preys on your desperation. Send him back to prison before this turns into a legal disaster.”

Miracle Doctor

Kade’s expression remained unchanged. However the insults irritated him. “I’m leaving,” he said flatly. “Argue among yourselves.”

He turned toward the door.

“Please!”

The word tore out of Jeffrey’s throat.

Before anyone could react…

The Warden of Tartarus dropped to his knees.

Vanessa froze, she felt like she was in a dream. The doctor stared in disbelief.

Jeffrey lowered his head.

“Don’t listen to them,” he pleaded hoarsely. “I know what you can do. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. If there’s even a one percent chance… I’ll take it.”

Vanessa stepped forward. “Jeffrey, stand up! This is humiliating!”

“Enough!” Jeffrey roared.

His voice shook the room.

Vanessa went silent instantly, even the doctor stiffened.

But then the doctor tried to interject again, Jeffrey turned and without hesitation, smacked him across the face.

The sharp sound echoed in the ward.

“Shut up!” Jeffrey barked. “This is my daughter! I decide who treats her!”

The doctor staggered back, stunned and furious.

“You’ll regret this,” he hissed.

Jeffrey didn’t even look at him again.

He remained kneeling before Kade.

“Please.”

After a long moment. Kade sighed faintly.

“Stand up.”

Jeffrey looked up.

“I’ll treat her,” Kade said calmly. “But once I begin, no one interferes.”

He turned to Vanessa.

“If you doubt me, stop me now.”

Vanessa’s lips trembled. She looked at her daughter’s pale face.

Then at her kneeling husband.

“…Do it,” she whispered.

Kade nodded once.

“Bring me raw ginger. Black pepper. Pure honey. A silver bowl. And boiling water.”

Everyone paused in confusion.

The doctor let out a disbelieving laugh.

“You can’t be serious.”

Vanessa frowned. “Those are kitchen ingredients.”

Jeffrey didn’t hesitate.

He turned to his guards. “Go. Now.”

The men rushed out immediately.

The doctor shook his head in disgust. “Warden Sky, don’t blame this hospital when she deteriorates. I want security stationed outside this room. If anything happens, that man is not leaving this building.”

He signaled his guards. They moved into position. Watching Kade carefully.

Waiting.

Kade didn’t spare them a glance.

When the ingredients arrived, he calmly crushed the ginger, ground the pepper with precise pressure, mixed it with honey, then poured boiling water over it.

Steam rose slowly.

The doctor crossed his arms. “You’re making tea.”

“I’m extracting heat,” Kade replied simply.

The doctor scoffed.

Kade turned, holding the silver bowl.

“Let’s make this interesting.”

He looked directly at the physician.

“If I save her, you will kneel. And apologize.”

The doctor laughed sharply. “And if you fail?”

“I return to prison.”

Jeffrey inhaled sharply.

Vanessa’s heart nearly stopped.

The doctor’s eyes gleamed.

“Deal.”

Kade ignored him.

He helped Priscilla sit slightly upright and gently poured the mixture into her mouth.

For several seconds nothing happened. Then her body jerked violently. She began coughing. Then black blood spilled from her lips onto the white sheets.

Vanessa screamed.

“Oh my God!”

The doctor stepped forward triumphantly. “I told you! You’ve poisoned her!”

Jeffrey’s face drained of color.

Even his confidence wavered.

The black substance continued pouring out. The room felt like it was collapsing.

And then—

Priscilla’s convulsions stopped. Her skin slowly shifted, the pale gray tint faded. Her color returned. A soft warmth spread across her cheeks. Her breathing stabilized, then the heart monitor strengthened.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Her eyelids fluttered, making Venessa froze. Jeffrey couldn’t breathe.

Slowly—

Priscilla opened her eyes. She looked around weakly.

“Mom… Dad…”

Jeffrey and Vanessa jolted forward at the same time.

“Priscilla?!” Jeffrey’s voice cracked. “You’re awake?”

They rushed to her bedside, careful but overwhelmed, each taking one of her hands as if afraid she might disappear again.

Priscilla blinked slowly, her vision still adjusting. “Dad… Mom…” Her voice was weak, but clear.

Tears streamed down Vanessa’s face.

For weeks, that hospital room had smelled like antiseptic. For weeks, the only sounds had been machines and quiet prayers.

Now…their daughter was speaking.

“Careful,” Kade said calmly from behind them. “Her meridians are still fragile. She needs deep rest. No physical strain. And no oily food for ninety days.”

Jeffrey turned immediately. “Of course. Of course. Anything.”

Vanessa gently brushed her daughter’s hair back before standing up.

When she looked at Kade again, her gaze had completely changed. The suspicion was gone. The pride was gone. What remained was humility. She walked toward him slowly.

“Mr. Hollow…” Her voice trembled slightly. “Thank you.”

Then—

To the shock of everyone in the room—

Vanessa Sky lowered herself to her knees.

The nurses gasped, even the security guards exchanged stunned looks.

“I am sorry,” she said sincerely. “For how I spoke to you. For doubting you. For treating you with disrespect.”

She clasped her hands together in front of her chest.

“Please find it in your heart to forgive me.”

Everyone was in awe.

Kade looked down at her without emotion.

“I hold no grudges,” he said evenly. “Your reaction was natural for a mother.”

His eyes sharpened slightly.

“But prejudice blinds more than ignorance. I hope you reflect on that.”

Vanessa lowered her head. “I will.”

“Stand,” Kade said simply.

She rose and returned to her daughter’s side, her movements softer now, filled with gratitude instead of fear.

Kade then shifted his gaze. It landed on the doctor. The air seemed to tighten.

“Don’t forget our bet,” Kade said coldly. “Get on your knees. And apologize.”

Young Master?

Every eye in the room turned toward the physician.

The head doctor of South City’s most prestigious hospital stood frozen.

His mind was in chaos.

Honey. Ginger. Pepper. Boiling water.

What kind of medicine was that?

He had spent thirty years studying abroad.

He had chaired conferences. He had authored papers. And this young man…this former inmate had walked in and overturned everything. He looked around the room.

Jeffrey Sky, Vanessa Sky, the nurses, the security guards. All watching and waiting.

His reputation hung in the balance. How could he kneel? To an ex-convict? To a man with no degree?

His pride rebelled violently.

“Don’t get cocky, you scammer!” he snapped suddenly, his face flushing red. “She recovered because of my earlier treatments and antibiotics! Her body was already stabilizing!”

He pointed accusingly at Kade.

“It was coincidence! Timing! Not your ridiculous potion!”

The room stiffened. Vanessa’s expression darkened. Jeffrey’s eyes turned cold.

The doctor pressed on desperately.

“You’re all being fooled! He mixed kitchen ingredients and you’re worshipping him like some miracle worker!”

He turned sharply toward the guards.

“Security! Remove this man from my hospital immediately!”

Although hesitant, the guards exchanged uncertain glances before stepping forward.

“Sir… please come with us,” one of them muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.

They approached Kade cautiously, as if unsure whether they were escorting a criminal, or provoking something far worse.

Kade didn’t move, or try to resist. He simply stood there calmly. As though the entire situation was beneath him.

Before the guards could even reach out—

“Stop.”

Jeffrey’s voice cut through the room like a blade.

The guards froze instantly.

Jeffrey stepped forward, his expression no longer emotional or grateful.

“Anyone,” he said slowly, his eyes sweeping across the security team, “who dares lay a finger on Mr. Hollow…”

His jaw tightened.

“…will regret it for the rest of their miserable lives.”

The threat wasn’t exaggerated. It was factual.

Everyone in South City knew who Jeffrey Sky was. If he decided to ruin you. You were finished.

The guards immediately stepped back.

The doctor’s face turned pale.

“You— you can’t threaten hospital staff!” the doctor protested, though his voice had already lost strength. “I am the head physician here! I will not allow some fraud to undermine medical authority!”

Jeffrey turned to face him.

His gaze was filled with disappointment.

“No,” Jeffrey said quietly. “You are the head physician of this hospital.”

He stepped closer.

“And yet you wagered your professional integrity in front of witnesses.”

The doctor swallowed.

Jeffrey continued, voice steady and sharp.

“You entered into a public verbal agreement. A binding conditional contract witnessed by multiple parties.”

He gestured around the room.

“Nurses. Security. Myself. My wife.”

His eyes hardened.

“Under civil liability law, refusal to honor a witnessed agreement constitutes fraudulent misrepresentation and professional misconduct. I can file a formal complaint with the Medical Licensing Board for ethical violation and breach of professional oath.”

The doctor’s breathing grew uneven.

“And if I choose,” Jeffrey added calmly, “I can press charges for defamation and attempted unlawful detention.”

The doctor’s forehead began to bead with sweat.

“You… you wouldn’t…”

Jeffrey’s voice dropped lower.

“Test me.”

The weight of those two words crushed whatever pride the doctor had left.

His knees trembled.

This wasn’t just about humiliation anymore.

This was about losing his license. His career. His reputation.His freedom.

Then slowly—

The head doctor of South City Hospital bent his knees.

His expensive coat wrinkled against the sterile hospital floor.

He lowered his head.

“I…” His voice cracked. “I apologize.”

He forced himself to continue.

“I was wrong to doubt your abilities. Please forgive my arrogance, Mr. Hollow.”

The nurses stared in disbelief.

The guards looked away in embarrassment.

Kade looked down at him. His expression didn’t change. There was no triumph in his eyes. No satisfaction. The doctor was insignificant.

Whether he knelt or stood—

It made no difference.

Jeffrey walked over respectfully.

“Mr. Hollow,” he said sincerely. “Thank you once again. As agreed…”

He gestured toward one of his subordinates.

The man stepped forward immediately and handed over a thick stack of files.

Jeffrey took them and presented them with both hands.

“These are everything I’ve gathered over the years. Financial trails. Witness statements. Internal reports.”

His voice lowered.

“It will aid you in your search for justice.”

He looked directly at Kade.

“And I will support you in any way I can.”

Kade accepted the documents without ceremony.

“I shall take my leave now.”

Jeffrey hesitated.

“But… where will you go? You may stay at my residence until you decide your next move. It would be an honor.”

Kade interrupted calmly.

“I’ll find my way.”

Without another word, he turned and walked out of the hospital room.

The hallway parted naturally as he passed.

When he stepped outside , the evening air was cool. Meanwhile across the street. A fleet of black vehicles lined the curb.

They weren’t ostentatious, but unmistakably elite.

Three figures stood in front of the lead car.

A woman in a fitted black suit and two men behind her.

The moment they saw him…

All three dropped to one knee.

They lowered their heads, as they said in one voice.

“Young Master, the Azure Organization has awaited your return.”

The Azure Organization

Kade’s steps halted.

For the first time since leaving Tartarus he looked genuinely surprised.

“Who are you people?” His eyes narrowed slightly. “And what is the Azure Throne?”

The woman in the black suit raised her head, though she remained kneeling.

“I am Zia Makari,” she said calmly. “We were sent by Master Zucker. I cannot explain everything here. Please, follow us. All your answers await.”

The moment Kade heard that name…

Zucker—

His heart skipped.

Zucker was the old man.

The eccentric, unpredictable, terrifyingly powerful old man who had taught him everything inside Tartarus.

“Zucker?” Kade repeated slowly. “You mean the old man?”

“Yes, Young Master,” Zia replied without hesitation.

Young Master.

The title echoed strangely in his ears.

Zucker had vanished from Tartarus without a trace. No sign of transfer. Not even a record of his corpse. Kade had searched for months within Tartarus but no one knew where the old man went. Even the guards had no idea who Zucker was. He doesn’t even have a record as one of the recorded inmates, he was like a ghost.

And now…this? A link.

Kade studied them for a long moment.

They did not look like impostors. And even if they were, they’ll be the one in danger, not him. Finally, he gave a slight nod.

“Very well.”

The three rose immediately and opened the car door for him.

Kade entered first.

The door shut with a soft, expensive thud.

Outside the hospital, whispers spread quickly.

“Wasn’t that the man who came with Warden Sky?”

“I thought he was some ex-con…”

“Why are those luxury cars waiting for him?”

Perception shifted in seconds.

The fleet of black vehicles rolled away smoothly.

—

Inside the car, the atmosphere was quiet.

Zia sat across from Kade, posture straight, hands folded neatly over her lap. The two men remained silent, eyes forward.

Kade’s gaze was sharp.

“Start talking,” he said calmly. “Who are you really? And what connection do you have to Zucker?”

Zia inclined her head respectfully.

“We serve the Azure Organization.”

She continued.

“The Azure Organization is one of the largest and most influential powers in Ashville.”

Kade’s brows furrowed slightly.

“A business group?”

“To the outside world—yes,” Zia replied. “A multinational conglomerate. Investments. Infrastructure. Energy. Private security. Assets valued in the billions.”

Kade’s expression didn’t change.

Zucker had once mentioned something like that.

He had laughed while saying it.

“I own half the City, brat,” the old man had said casually while drinking prison tea. “Don’t embarrass me when you get out.”

Kade had assumed it was another one of his ridiculous jokes.

Zia’s next words froze his thoughts.

“The founder of the Azure Organization is Zucker.”

Kade’s eyes widened slightly.

“You’re telling me…” Kade said slowly, “…the old man actually founded one of the biggest organizations in Ashville?”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Silence filled the car for several seconds.

Kade leaned back slightly. So it wasn’t a joke.

All those late-night rants about wealth and power…

They were real.

Kade’s gaze remained fixed on Zia.

“If you serve him,” he said slowly, “then tell me where he is.”

For the first time since the conversation began—

Zia hesitated.

Her fingers tightened slightly over her lap.

“We do not know, Young Master.”

The words were calm.

Kade’s eyes sharpened. “You don’t know?”

Zia shook her head.

“Master Zucker disappeared ten years ago.”

Kade’s breathing slowed.

Ten years.

“He vanished without informing the inner council. No trace. No communication. No financial activity tied to his personal signatures.”

The two men in front remained silent, but even they seemed uncomfortable at the topic.

“He has always been… unpredictable,” Zia continued carefully. “Throughout the years, he would disappear without explanation. Sometimes for months. Once, for nearly two years.”

“But ten years…” she added softly, “was the longest.”

Kade’s mind began connecting threads.

Ten years ago—

An old man had appeared inside Tartarus.

An eccentric prisoner no one dared provoke.

A man who somehow possessed knowledge, power, and resources that made no sense within prison walls.

Ten years.

Kade’s master had been in Tartarus for approximately ten years.

“If he’s been absent that long, how do you know I was the chosen heir?” Kade’s eyes snapped back to her.

Zia replied briefly. “Three weeks ago, he reappeared.”

“He came to headquarters. Briefly. He summoned the inner council.”

Her tone became more formal, as if recalling something sacred.

“He informed us that he had already chosen his heir.”

Kade felt his pulse shift.

“He did not give details. He did not explain where he had been. He simply said—”

Zia’s voice lowered slightly.

“‘When the dragon awakens, the throne will recognize him.’”

Kade’s jaw tightened.

“That heir…” he said quietly.

Zia met his gaze directly.

“Is you.”

There was tension in the car.

Outside, the scenery had changed. The city lights were long gone. The vehicle had crossed bridges, highways, and unmarked roads.

Kade leaned back slowly.

His master had been in Tartarus. Teaching him. Training him. Forging him.

While an empire waited.

“Why me?” Kade asked.

Zia did not answer immediately.

“That,” she said honestly, “is something only Master Zucker can explain.”

By the time nearly an hour had passed, the car began slowing.

Kade glanced outside.

Dark water stretched endlessly under the night sky.

They were crossing a private bridge.

Ahead. A massive gate rose from the mist.

Black steel. Thirty feet tall. At its center, a colossal dragon emblem carved in silver, its eyes embedded with glowing blue lights.

The vehicle stopped.

The gates began to open with a deep mechanical rumble.

Beyond it was an isolated island.

“This,” Zia said calmly, “is the headquarters of the Azure Organization.”

The cars rolled in.

As Kade stepped out, he was taken aback by the vast empire. “Zucker owns this?”

“One of the thirty seven companies under Azure.” She replied, leading him inside.

Rows of suited guards lined both sides of the pathway in perfect formation. The moment they saw him. They bowed simultaneously.

Kade’s expression remained unreadable.

Zia walked beside him.

“Only a handful of members know this location,” she explained. “The outer world believes Azure’s executive offices are downtown.”

They passed landscaped gardens, marble walkways, and towering glass structures built into the island’s terrain.

“How much is Azure worth?” Kade asked out of curiosity.

She paused.

“The exact net worth is impossible to calculate due to layered holdings and shadow assets.”

She looked at him.

“But conservatively… approximately nine hundred billion dollars.”

Kade stopped walking for half a second. He almost couldn’t understand what he was feeling. A combination of shock and disbelief.

Nine hundred billion. Nearly a trillion dollars. And according to them…He was now its heir? Its owner?

Kade exhaled once. Then his eyes sharpened.

If he was going to uncover the truth behind his imprisonment… If he was going to exact revenge. He would need resources. Manpower. Information networks. Influence.

And Azure… Was the perfect weapon.

They entered the main building.

Glass doors opened silently.

The interior was vast and minimalistic—polished floors, high ceilings, subdued lighting.

Zia led him down a long corridor.

“This is the central administrative wing,” she explained. “Only the inner council operates here.”

They stopped in front of two massive wooden doors engraved with the same dragon insignia.

Zia turned to him.

“This is the meeting chamber.”

Her tone became formal again.

“Several elders of the Azure Throne wish to greet you personally.”

Kade gave a small nod. Then the doors opened.

Inside—

A long obsidian table dominated the room.

Twelve individuals sat around it.

Each over forty, exuding quiet authority.

Their eyes turned toward the entrance.

Zia stepped forward and gave a respectful nod.

“Elders of the Azure,” she announced clearly. “I have brought the successor of Master Zucker.”

She stepped aside.

“Kade Hollow.”

An Arrogant Heir

The moment Kade stepped fully into the chamber. He could feel the pressure. The air itself seemed heavier, as if the atmosphere had thickened around the long obsidian table.

Twelve elders.

Twelve sources of restrained power.

Their auras were not unleashed, yet even in suppression, they radiated dominance.

Kade’s senses sharpened instinctively.

Each of them…

At least Dragon Lord level.

A rank beneath the Celestial Realm.

In the world of martial arts, power was divided into distinct realms that separated men from monsters.

Sentinel, Regent, Sovereign, Dragon Lord, Celestial Realm, Primordial and Apex Primordial

Kade himself had only recently ascended into the Celestial Realm.

And yet…

These twelve men and women sitting before him were monsters in their own right.

Their eyes assessed him. Disgust surfaced.

“A young man?” one of them muttered under his breath.

“Is this some kind of joke?”

Murmurs spread around the table.

Disappointment and skepticism. A heavyset man with streaks of silver in his hair leaned forward slightly.

Chad Bozeman.

His aura was sharp and aggressive “How,” Chad said slowly, voice laced with disbelief, “could Master Zucker choose a little boy to take the mantle of King?”

The word King echoed faintly in the chamber.

Zia stood respectfully near the entrance.

“I do not know the reasoning behind Master Zucker’s choice,” she said carefully. “But this was his final directive.”

The elders exchanged glances.

They had expected someone seasoned.

Someone hardened by decades of war and corporate conquest. Not…a man who looked barely twenty-five.

Kade stood quietly at the head of the table.

He understood immediately.

They were not here because they respected him.

They were tolerating him because of Zucker. He remained calm.

But Chad was not willing to remain silent.

“This is unacceptable,” Chad said sharply, standing from his seat.

His chair scraped against the polished floor, echoing through the hall.

He stepped forward, eyes narrowing.

“Little boy,” he said with open disdain, “do you even understand the basis of Aether?”

Aether is the primordial life-force that exists between matter and spirit. The force that allowed martial artists to surpass human limitations.

Only one percent of the world’s population could even sense Aether. Fewer could control it. And even fewer could weaponize it. Those that do are called warriors. It was the true source of Kade’s powers.

Chad’s aura flared slightly…just enough to press against Kade like a test.

“Are you even a warrior?”

The pressure intensified.

Several of the elders watched carefully now.

“What is your current cultivation level?” Chad demanded.

Kade’s eyes slowly lifted to meet his.

His expression didn’t change.

But something colder appeared beneath the surface.

He might be quiet. But he would never accept disrespect.

A faint grin touched his lips.

“You look old,” Kade said calmly, voice steady, “and yet you don’t know how to speak to your new master?”

The words struck like a blade.

The chamber fell completely still.

Zia swallowed hard.

Of all the elders—

Chad Bozeman had the worst temper.

A Dragon Lord at the peak of his realm.

A man who had crushed competitors, broken enemies, and commanded private armies.

And now—

On his first day inside headquarters—

Kade had openly challenged him.

Although Kade had been chosen as the successor of Azure, Zia had no clear understanding of his strength. She knew he possessed Aether. She knew Master Zucker trusted him. But speaking to Chad like this—

Without demonstrating power first was a dangerous move.

The air began to vibrate faintly.

Chad’s eyes darkened.

“How dare you!”

Chad’s voice exploded through the chamber like thunder.

“Although you may be the chosen heir,” he continued, his body trembling with fury, “you have not been coronated! And you already have the audacity to talk back to me?”

The veins along his neck bulged. His aura began leaking uncontrollably.

Most Dragon Lords could restrain their presence.

Chad wasn’t trying to.

Kade didn’t flinch.

“You elderly men demand respect,” he replied coolly, “yet you don’t know how to give it.”

Elder Chad Bozeman

That was it.

The final spark.

Chad slammed his palm onto the obsidian table.

BOOM.

The massive slab cracked instantly, fractures racing like lightning through the polished surface before it shattered into pieces.

A violent purple aura erupted around him, swirling like a storm.

The temperature in the room dropped. The very air itself distorted.

Several weaker attendants near the walls staggered back, gasping.

Zia’s heart pounded.

She was only at Sovereign level.

If a Dragon Lord fully unleashed himself? She wouldn’t last a second trying to intervene.

Almost no one in this room could stop Chad if he truly went berserk. Except the other elders.

Otherwise…Kade might actually die here.

“That’s it!” Chad roared, stepping forward. “You’re going to die today!”

He clenched his fist.

The purple aura condensed around it, compressing into a dense vortex of destructive force.

This wasn’t a warning strike. It was lethal intent.

Yet…Kade was smiling.

That expression only enraged Chad further.

Just as he was about to move—

“STOP!”

Zia’s voice cut sharply through the chaos.

The chamber shook as all eyes turned toward her.

Chad glared. “Who do you think you are to stop me?”

Zia steadied her breathing. She couldn’t overpower him. But she could invoke the law.

“According to the Code of Azure,” she said clearly, projecting her voice, “if two members have a dispute involving honor or authority, they must resolve it through a sanctioned duel.”

Her eyes flicked briefly toward Kade.

This was the only way.

If Chad attacked now, it would be an execution.

But a duel required preparation. Time. Formal witnesses. Maybe…Just maybe

Chad would cool off by then.

Or at least avoid killing Kade outright.

Chad hesitated. He wanted blood now.

“She’s right,” another elder spoke calmly.

George Hale.

White-haired, composed, and sharped eyes. “Challenge the boy properly, Chad. Let the duel decide.”

everal elders nodded subtly. Not out of sympathy for Kade. But to preserve order.

Chad exhaled harshly. The purple aura flickered. Then gradually extinguished.

The shattered table pieces settled across the floor.

“Fine,” Chad growled.

His eyes burned into Kade.

“Tomorrow morning. Ten o’clock.” His voice was ice.

“Be prepared.”

A cruel smile stretched across his face.

“I’ll crush you into ribbons.”

Kade chuckled softly.

“You really do have a death wish.”

The room stiffened again.

Chad’s fists tightened, but he restrained himself.

Zia moved quickly.

“We shall be leaving,” she announced firmly.

Before Chad could respond again, she stepped beside Kade and subtly urged him toward the exit.

The massive doors closed behind them.

Only when they were well down the corridor did Zia finally release the breath she’d been holding.

She led him into a private suite within the inner residential wing.

The doors opened to reveal a massive room—marble floors, a panoramic glass wall overlooking the ocean, a king-sized bed, a study area, and minimalist luxury throughout.

“This will be your temporary quarters,” she said.

The door sealed behind them.

Zia turned to him, her composure finally slipping slightly.

“Young Master… you didn’t have to enrage Elder Chad.”

Her tone was respectful, but urgent.

“Although you are the heir, your coronation is in three days. Until then, by law, you are not officially King of Azure.”

She continued carefully.

“Your title cannot protect you from internal challenges. Especially not from someone like Chad.”

She met his gaze.

“You must show restraint. At least for now.”

Kade walked calmly toward the glass wall, looking out at the dark ocean.

“Why should I show respect,” he said flatly, “to those who disrespect me?”

He turned slightly.

“Especially when they are significantly weaker than me.”

Zia froze.

Her mind stalled for a second.

“Weaker?” she repeated carefully.

“I’m afraid you misunderstand the situation.”

Her voice became serious again.

“Every single one of the elders is at Dragon Lord level. Peak Dragon Lord, in some cases.”

She hesitated.

“The only person above them was Master Zucker.”

Kade didn’t look impressed.

“Who cares if they’re Dragon Lords,” he said lazily.

He turned fully now, his eyes calm.

“Even if they were at the Celestial Realm.”

He shrugged slightly.

“No one can beat me.”

The words lingered in the air. Celestial Realm.

Zia’s heart skipped. He spoke the term naturally, without confusion. He knew the ranking system.

Which meant he understood what he was implying.

If he knew the hierarchy…

Why would he challenge a Dragon Lord so confidently?

Unless—

Her breath grew faintly uneven.

Could he be—

At the Celestial Realm?

A Letter from Zucker

Zia dismissed the thought almost as quickly as it had formed.

Celestial Realm.

Impossible.

She had spent fifteen years inside Azure, surrounded by some of the most gifted warriors in the City. She understood better than most what it took to reach the upper echelons of cultivation. Dragon Lord alone required decades of disciplined training, refined technique, and a natural affinity for Aether that perhaps one in ten thousand people even possessed.

Celestial Realm was something else entirely.

In all of Azure’s thirty year history, only one person had ever stood at that level.

Master Zucker.

And even he had taken a lifetime to get there.

This young man was barely twenty-four. He had spent the last ten years inside a prison. No matter how gifted he was, no matter what Zucker had taught him inside those walls, the idea that he had reached Celestial Realm was simply…

She shook her head slightly.

Don’t be ridiculous.

He was confident. Perhaps genuinely strong. But confidence without matching ability was just arrogance. And tomorrow morning, Chad would demonstrate that difference in the most painful way possible.

Which meant she needed to know exactly what she was working with.

“If I may ask, Young Master,” she said carefully, keeping her voice neutral, “what is your current cultivation level?”

Kade was still standing at the glass wall, looking out at the dark ocean. He didn’t turn around.

“High enough,” he replied.

The words came out lazily. Unbothered. As if the question itself barely warranted a response.

Zia pressed gently. “Elder Chad is at peak Dragon Lord. That is not a small gap to bridge regardless of your talent. Tomorrow’s duel—”

“Is not something worth losing sleep over.”

He finally turned from the window and moved toward the bed, rolling one shoulder as he sat down.

“A Dragon Lord,” he said simply, “is not worth worrying about.”

Zia stared at him.

For a long moment she said nothing.

Then she exhaled quietly through her nose, turned slightly away, and muttered under her breath.

“I need to find a way to save his ass.”

“I heard that,” Kade said.

Zia straightened immediately. “I said nothing, Young Master.”

The faintest trace of something crossed Kade’s expression. Not quite a smile. But close.

Zia reached into the inner pocket of her jacket and produced a sealed envelope. The paper was aged slightly at the edges. On the front, written in a sharp, slanted hand she recognized immediately, was a single name.

Kade.

“Master Zucker asked me to give you this,” she said, stepping forward and presenting it with both hands. “A letter. He was very specific that it be delivered to you personally. After you arrived.”

Kade looked at it for a moment before taking it.

“What’s in it?”

“I don’t know,” Zia replied honestly. “No one was permitted to open it. Not even the inner council.”

He turned it over in his hands, studying the seal. A small dragon impression pressed into dark blue wax.

He set it on the bed beside him without opening it.

Zia waited a beat, then straightened. “I’ll take my leave. If you need anything during the night, my number is on the card at the table.” She placed a slim white card beside the lamp. “I’ll return at eight tomorrow morning to escort you to the duel.”

She turned toward the door.

“Zia.”

She stopped.

“How strong is Azure’s research division?”

She turned back slowly, recalibrating. The shift in topic was abrupt but his tone had changed. Quieter. More focused.

“We have one of the strongest intelligence networks in the city,” she answered. “Private investigators, former government analysts, digital forensics specialists. If information exists somewhere, our team can find it.”

Kade was quiet for a moment.

Then he reached beside him and produced the thick file Jeffrey had handed him in the hospital. He held it out.

Zia stepped forward and took it.

“Ten years ago,” Kade said, his voice still calm but carrying something heavier underneath, “my family was murdered. My parents. My younger sister.” He paused. “I was the only survivor.”

Zia looked down at the file in her hands.

“I spent a decade inside Tartarus because no one investigated what actually happened that night. The evidence was sealed. The case was closed before it began.” His eyes darkened slightly. “That file is everything Jeffrey Sky gathered over the years. Financial trails. Partial witness accounts. A name on a classified authorization order.”

He looked directly at her.

“I need everything Azure can find. Anyone connected to that night. Any organization that ordered it. Any individual who signed off on it.” His voice was quiet but absolute. “No stone left unturned.”

Zia held the file carefully, as if its weight had just increased.

She had read enough about Kade’s case over the past three weeks to understand the surface level of what had happened. But hearing him say it directly, without anger, without trembling, just cold and resolute certainty, made the reality of it land differently.

“We will do our best,” she said. Then after a pause, she added sincerely, “We will find something.”

Kade gave a single nod.

With a slight bow, Zia turned and left. The door sealed shut behind her with a soft, final click.

Silence settled over the suite.

Kade sat on the edge of the bed for a long moment, hands resting on his knees, eyes fixed on nothing in particular.

The ocean beyond the glass was black and vast and still.

He reached for the envelope.

He broke the wax seal carefully and unfolded the letter inside. The paper was thick. High quality. The handwriting was unmistakably Zucker’s — sharp angles, slightly cramped, the penmanship of a man who wrote quickly because his thoughts moved faster than his hand.

He began to read.

“Kade.

If you’re reading this, you’ve finally stopped sleeping long enough to walk out of that prison. Good. You were beginning to embarrass me. And by now you’ll be preparing for your coronation as the King of Azure Throne organization.

Zia Makari is the most capable person in that building. Rely on her. She has been loyal to me longer than most of the elders have been alive.

As for why I chose you above all of them — you’ll understand eventually. You always do.

For the main reason I’m writing this later…

There is a girl. Her name is Elara Voss. Daughter of the Voss family.

Protect her. I cannot explain why yet. The reason will reveal itself when the time is right. Trust that it matters more than you currently understand.

One more thing.

I’ve made a formal arrangement. A betrothal between you and the girl. Signed, witnessed, and legally binding.

In other words — you’re engaged.

Before you destroy something expensive: the reason for this will also reveal itself. Everything I do has a purpose, even when I don’t explain it. You know that better than anyone.

She is not happy about it either. That should make you feel better.

Keep her alive, Kade. And try not to be insufferable.

— Zucker

P.S. I owe you fourteen bowls of decent soup after feeding you that prison slop for eight years. I’ll collect my debt when we meet again.”

Kade stared at the letter for a long moment.

Engaged. To a girl he had never met. For reasons his master had deliberately withheld.

He folded the letter slowly and set it on the bedside table.

The old man never did anything without purpose. In eight years, not once. Every lesson, every instruction, every seemingly ridiculous demand had eventually revealed its reason.

But this?

He exhaled and lay back against the pillow.

A duel in nine hours. A betrothal he never agreed to. And somewhere out there, a girl named Elara Voss who apparently needed protecting for reasons he wasn’t allowed to know yet.

“You really couldn’t just leave me a weapon and a map, old man.”

He closed his eyes. Within minutes he fell asleep.