The grenade exploded in a blinding flash of fire and smoke.
Ethan didn't wait to see if it worked—he ran.
"MOVE!" he shouted, yanking Olivia up as Blaze barked frantically beside him. Noah was already dragging Valerie to her feet, their eyes wide with terror.
Adrian was too powerful. This wasn't a fight. It was a massacre waiting to happen.
They had to get out.
But before they could—the smoke parted.
And Adrian was still standing.
Untouched.
Unharmed.
And now? He looked angry.
The Wrath of a God
Adrian's golden aura flared. The air itself cracked under the weight of his power.
"You are really starting to annoy me."
He raised his hand.
The ground beneath Ethan's feet shattered. An invisible force yanked him off the ground, choking the air from his lungs.
No. No, no, no.
He struggled, gasping, but it was like being crushed by an unseen fist.
Olivia screamed. "LET HIM GO!"
She lunged—only for Adrian to flick his wrist.
She was blasted backward, slamming into Noah.
Adrian's grip tightened.
Ethan's vision blurred. Black spots danced in his eyes.
He couldn't breathe.
Couldn't move.
This was it.
A Glimpse of Hope
Then—a roar.
Not Adrian's.
Not human.
Something else.
The sky rippled. The golden glow around Adrian flickered.
And for the first time—he looked… distracted.
Ethan's body dropped. He hit the ground hard, coughing, dragging in painful gulps of air.
Blaze barked furiously, standing over him, hackles raised.
Ethan forced himself up, eyes snapping toward the sky—toward the source of the roar.
And what he saw made his blood run cold.
Something was coming.
Something even Adrian hadn't expected.
Something worse.