Chapter 38

The air around them crackled with an energy so thick, it felt as though the very fabric of reality was trembling in the wake of the battle. Alex and Aria stood side by side, their breathing shallow but determined, as they watched Lucian Richard the man who had once been Alex's father, stand before them with a dark, twisted smile.

The truth that had been thrust upon Alex—his true lineage, the betrayal by the man who had raised him, the horrible realization that his life had been manipulated from the start—felt like a thousand knives cutting into his heart. His mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. But there was no time to process. No time to mourn. The battle had to be fought, and there was only one way to end it.

"Everything you've known is a lie," Lucian mocked, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Your father was never your father. I created you, shaped you, made you what you are. And now, you're going to join me. We will rule this world together."