"Don’t... go..."

A bloody hand gripped her tightly.

Dawn Miles’s eyes widened. The man before her had a mouth full of blood, and the look in his eyes made her heart ache.

"Rory, we have to go—"

Elias Lennox’s voice suddenly turned cold. He pried the man’s fingers open and mercilessly kicked him aside.

Alvin Morgan lay on the ground like a rag doll, coughing up blood.

"Brother... he..."

"They want to lock you up in a laboratory forever!"

Elias’s voice was frigid. He grabbed her arm, ripped open the helicopter door, and tried to pull her away.

But she didn’t move. Looking at the man on the ground, she said worriedly, "If I leave, they’ll die."

"If you don’t leave, I will die..."

Elias looked into the distance. He could already feel a powerful Power Domain approaching.

Several ships and aircraft were also heading their way with great fanfare.

"Are you coming or not?"

The amber in Elias’s pupils deepened, and his chestnut hair began to turn white from the roots.

Suddenly, he leaped out to meet a majestic and powerful attack.

The Guardian of Luvia had arrived.

"Brother—"

"Go, now—" Elias yelled back.

His body hadn’t fully recovered, and he was barely managing to hold his ground.

Dawn Miles pressed her lips together. She glanced at the controls in the cabin and quickly pressed a button next to the pilot’s seat.

A huge airbag deployed from beneath the helicopter.

After Dawn Miles also leaped from the cabin, the helicopter swiftly descended again.

On the once-calm sea, two "Sea Walls" several stories high now rose up, terrifying the people on nearby boats as if a tsunami was upon them.

Suddenly, another terrifying force struck, violently tearing apart the two walls of water just as they were about to collide.

The Guardian was horrified, looking in disbelief at the silver-haired person on top of the helicopter.

’Could this powerful energy belong to a Regulator?’

"Seize him! He attacked the Veridian envoy—"

A voice came from nearby.

The Luvian pilot, who had landed safely in the sea, stumbled out of the helicopter, knelt on the airbag, and pointed at Elias, shouting.

The Guardian’s expression shifted slightly. He moved to attack Elias again, but Dawn Miles suddenly blocked him.

"Your Excellency, what is the meaning of this?"

The Guardian’s heart tightened, his tone turning hostile.

"Prepare a ship for us to leave the country," Elias said calmly, returning to her side.

"No way. He’s one of The Shadow—"

At that moment, Aiden Morgan emerged from the cabin, carrying the heavily injured Alvin Morgan on his back. His gaze was grim as he looked at them.

A grave look appeared in the Guardian’s eyes.

The surrounding Royal Navy was already on standby, their weapons aimed at Elias and Dawn Miles.

An attack was imminent.

Aiden shouted at Dawn Miles, "Aurora Sinclair, Elias Lennox is the one who caused your amnesia..."

"Rory, don’t listen to him! He’s lying to you..."

"Aurora Sinclair, I have proof! It’s in my master’s watch!" Aiden raised Alvin Morgan’s blood-soaked wrist.

A "storm" gathered in Elias’s eyes. He swiftly threw a dagger that flashed with silver light, aimed straight for Alvin’s wrist.

Her body moved faster than her mind. She reflexively intercepted the sharp blade, positioning herself in front of them.

"Rory, you’d rather trust outsiders than believe me?" Elias roared, seemingly heartbroken.

Aiden’s face lit up. He continued to shout, "Aurora Sinclair, besides the watch, my master’s wallet and phone have your photos and videos! I have them too, I’ll show you right now! Elias is the one who’s been deceiving you..."

"Hmph. Videos and photos can be photoshopped. I have pictures of her from when she was a child..."

However, Aiden still opened his phone and played a video that Beta Morgan had previously sent to their group chat.

A familiar voice came from his phone.

Dawn Miles froze. The girl in the video looked exactly like her.

Aiden continued, "If you don’t believe me, I can contact your relatives right now. Leigh Miles, Titus Miles, the Sinclairs—they can all prove your identity..."

Before he could finish, a vicious palm strike flew toward Aiden’s vital point. Dawn Miles once again intervened to block it.

Elias’s eyes were bloodshot as he roared in fury, "Rory, I’m the one who saved you from that laboratory—"

"Brother..."

"Are you coming with me or not?"

His expression was agitated, and the look in his eyes was like that of a man about to fall into hell, clutching at the last piece of driftwood. It was as if he could be saved if she would just take one step forward.

"Come home with me..."

"Don’t... go... He killed... your master..."

The foot Dawn Miles was about to move forward with froze in place.

Alvin Morgan, on the ground, seemed to have used all his remaining strength to shout, his voice laced with a final, desperate unwillingness to yield.

Before completely losing consciousness, his dark pupils remained fixed on the girl in the distance.

"Master—" Aiden screamed like a madman, frantically fumbling for medicine on his person.

Across from them, Elias watched Dawn Miles’s figure run over to them, and the last glimmer of light in his eyes died.

A monstrous killing intent suddenly erupted from him, and a vicious glint entered his eyes.

"...Hahaha... You’re all going to die..."

Elias suddenly popped a pill into his mouth. His aura instantly intensified, showing faint signs of breaking through to the Great Martial King Realm.

Seeing this, the Guardian decisively struck out with his palm. But Elias was waiting for him. The corners of his mouth lifted in a bloodthirsty smile as a silver light flashed between his nimble fingers, stabbing toward the Guardian’s chest.

A sharp blade unsheathed, a swift and deadly strike.

The attack was like splitting bamboo—unstoppable.

The Guardian’s expression was grave. He quickly parried, but his arm was still grazed by the blow.

Elias licked his lips and lunged forward again. He moved like a phantom, flashing behind the Guardian and clamping a large hand down on his head.

"AHH—"

The Guardian’s face changed drastically. He tried to throw him off but was held down firmly.

It felt as if his hand had a suction force, continuously draining the Power from his body.

Veins bulged on Elias’s neck, and something seemed to be flowing beneath his skin.

"Not good... He’s stealing his Vitality!" Aiden yelled.

Dawn Miles rushed forward. "Brother—"

Elias spun around, using the weakened Guardian to block her attack.

Although she pulled back her strength in time, she still injured the Luvian Guardian.

"Brother, I believe you! Don’t hurt innocent people..."

Elias’s smile turned mocking. He suddenly struck the Guardian’s chest with a heavy palm, blocking her pursuit, then turned and leaped into the churning waves.

His voice, laced with "Power," echoed in everyone’s ears. "The Shadow lives forever—"

***

Alvin Morgan was rushed to Luvia’s royal hospital for emergency treatment, while Dawn Miles was placed under guard by several other Guardians who had arrived. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Colluding with The Shadow was a serious crime in any nation. However, because of her immense power and the protection of the Veridian ambassador, the Luvian Royal Family didn’t dare to offend her lightly.

The Royal Family had now sent for the Regulator from the Continent of Southeland, waiting for him to handle the matter.

Outside the emergency room, Dawn Miles sat on the floor, silently staring at the Obsidian Pendant in her hand.

Elias had given it to her. It was their engagement token.

’If none of this had happened, they would probably be almost home by now!’

Suddenly, the light in front of her dimmed. She looked up and met Aiden Morgan’s furious gaze.

"Aurora Sinclair, do you even have a heart?"