"What?" Confusion clouded Dawn Miles’s eyes. She felt the aura around him shift again.

"Your eyes..."

Elias Lennox smiled. "Have they changed color?"

His pupils had gradually lightened from amber, looking as if they were about to turn blue.

"Mhm..."

But she didn’t have time to dwell on it; the boat suddenly lurched to a halt.

The sound of a helicopter’s rotors filled the air, and a stern voice called down from above.

"Everyone on the boat, get on deck immediately—"

The ship’s captain was outside negotiating, but a fully armed man suddenly leaped down from the helicopter.

He brandished a gun, his expression murderous. "Open the hatch—"

The captain and his underlings immediately threw their hands up. "Please... Sir, I’m just running a small business..."

"Open the hatch!"

The captain glanced at his underling and lifted his chin slightly. The underling cautiously opened the hatch.

But inside, there was nothing but stacks of cargo; not a person in sight.

The fully armed man held his gun at the ready and carefully stepped inside.

The light inside was dim, and he could only make things out by the light from the open hatchway.

Behind them, the captain shot his underling a look. The underling suddenly grabbed an oar from the boat and raised it high, but he froze. The man in front had already raised his gun and pressed it to his head.

"Where are they?"

"I..."

"Not talking?"

BANG! BANG! BANG! The machine gun sprayed in all directions, and the surrounding cargo was instantly riddled with bullets.

"AHH—"

A scream suddenly came from beneath some wooden planks.

Immediately after, a figure leaped out from under the planks and attacked the man with the machine gun.

Aiden Morgan immediately blocked, but the person was too fast. In an instant, his gun was shattered by a single punch.

"Aurora Sinclair..."

The figure before him froze. A small fist hovered just before his face, charged with enough Strength to cripple him.

"Sir, I’ve found her—" Aiden Morgan’s eyes lit up, and he turned to shout to those outside the boat.

Immediately after, several more fully armed men jumped down from the helicopter.

To Dawn Miles’s surprise, a tall figure strode up and stood before her.

The dim hold was backlit, and he wore a special visor, making it impossible to see his face clearly.

But he gave her an intense feeling, and her heart began to race uncontrollably.

"You..."

The man suddenly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. "I finally found you..."

"Aurora... I finally found you..."

Dawn Miles froze. The man’s scent was familiar, as if she had smelled it somewhere before.

"Ahem... there are other people here!" Elias Lennox’s teasing voice suddenly cut in. Startled, Dawn Miles guiltily pushed the man away.

Just then, the man who had been holding her abruptly let go and charged toward Elias Lennox, fists raised.

"Alvin Morgan, are you crazy—"

Elias Lennox, nearly hit, lost his smile. He shouted as he parried the blows.

"You deserve to die—"

"Junior Sister, help me—"

Dawn Miles instantly moved to stand in front of Elias Lennox, her expression cold as she asked, "What do you think you’re doing?"

"Aurora, get out of the way!" A pang of pain shot through Alvin Morgan’s heart as he glared at the man behind Aurora Sinclair.

But she refused to move. She even pried his hands away, saying, word by deliberate word, "If you touch my fiancé again, I won’t be so polite!"

"What did you say?"

Dawn Miles didn’t look at him again. Instead, she turned to steady Elias Lennox. "Elias, are you okay?"

Elias Lennox glanced between them, a glint flashing in his eyes. A slight smile played on his lips as he clutched his chest and moaned, "Junior Sister... my chest hurts..."

"Sit down... Do you need some water?" Dawn Miles immediately helped him sit and started looking around for her bag.

She even jumped down from a raised section to get a blanket.

Alvin Morgan watched the girl bustling about for Elias Lennox, his fists clenching tightly at his sides.

His nails dug viciously into his palms, and blood dripped from his fingers.

Standing behind him, Aiden Morgan frowned and roared, "Aurora Sinclair—"

"Bring them out..." Alvin Morgan’s voice was devoid of emotion. He turned and walked out of the hold.

***

「On the helicopter—」

Dawn Miles glanced at the man across from her, who was staring out the window with a cold expression. She asked Elias Lennox uneasily, "Elias, aren’t we going home?"

Elias Lennox leaned against her, a smirk on his lips. "We can’t go back for now."

"Is it because of them?"

Dawn Miles’s voice suddenly turned cold, her gaze hostile as she looked at the men opposite them.

Aiden Morgan shot a glare at Elias Lennox, then looked at her and explained, "Aurora Sinclair, your home is in Veridia."

"I’m not Aurora Sinclair. My name is Dawn Miles..."

The smile on Elias Lennox’s face froze, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

Aiden Morgan said with an amused tone, "Dawn Miles is your name from the sect. Your real name is Aurora Sinclair, from the Sinclair Family of Kingsford..."

Dawn Miles looked at him doubtfully for a moment, then turned to Elias Lennox. "Elias, is what he’s saying true?"

A smile lifted the corners of Elias Lennox’s mouth as he replied, "No..."

"Elias Lennox, you—"

Elias Lennox leaned close to Dawn Miles, whispering in her ear, "Your name is Dawn Miles, and you’ve been my betrothed since we were children..."

Before he could finish, Alvin Morgan lunged forward and roughly grabbed him by the collar.

His eyes were pitch black, filled with killing intent. "Say that again..."

Elias Lennox stared into his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips as he said, word by deliberate word, "Alvin Morgan, she was always mine..."

The volcano of suppressed rage inside Alvin Morgan finally erupted. He viciously threw a punch at Elias Lennox’s head.

"Stop—"

Dawn Miles shouted, gripping his wrist tightly. The unfamiliarity and anger in her eyes stung him.

Suddenly, Alvin Morgan yanked her up, wrapped her tightly in his arms, and brought his head down to bite her lips fiercely.

The taste of blood instantly filled her mouth, and her mind felt like it had exploded.

’A total blank...’

She even forgot to struggle instinctively, her eyes wide as she stared at the face so close to hers.

Rage instantly flared in Elias Lennox’s eyes. He started to get up but was held down by Aiden Morgan.

"Something stolen can never become real."

Elias Lennox froze, then suddenly let out a sinister laugh. "Is that so?"

The Power around him suddenly surged. The helicopter’s instrument panel seemed to suffer from some invisible interference, and the gauges began to go haywire.

"Elias Lennox, you’re insane—"

The blue in Elias Lennox’s eyes grew paler. A powerful Power Domain enveloped the entire helicopter, sending it plummeting toward the deep sea.

Alvin Morgan quickly pulled Dawn Miles tightly into his arms to protect her, then looked up at the man opposite them.

"You’re one of The Shadow’s people..."

Elias Lennox smiled at him and snapped his fingers.

A soft, wet pop echoed in the cabin.

Alvin Morgan let out a muffled grunt as blood sprayed forth.

A bloody wound had opened on his abdomen.

"Sir—" Aiden Morgan roared, but his body was pinned by Elias Lennox’s Power Domain, unable to move.

"Aurora Sinclair—"

Finally, an even stronger Power broke through his blockade, and the helicopter’s windows instantly shattered.

Howling wind poured in through the windows, threatening to sweep everyone inside away.

Everyone clung desperately to their seatbelts. "AHH—"

Gradually, the helicopter’s descent slowed until it hovered in mid-air.

"Brother..."

Dawn Miles’s face was pale, and her chest ached as if she had been dealt a heavy blow.

The arm of the man holding her gradually went slack.

Across from them, Elias Lennox extended a hand to her, a smile in his amber eyes. "Rory, it’s time for us to go home..."