Alex_Udeh

Ethan Lockwood lives in a world of glass towers and silent expectations—a heir to a ruthless empire, raised on discipline, forged in loneliness. Beneath his privilege lies a storm he cannot name, a hunger for meaning that wealth cannot satisfy. Across the ocean, Evelyn Fairchild walks in the warmth of old libraries and whispered dreams. Surrounded by loyalty and love, she carries her own ache—a yearning for answers that the world of books cannot give.

Neither knows they carry ancient power, split by a Rift that once shook the stars. One born of order, the other of chaos. Bound by fate, destined to either mend the balance or break the world apart.

As their lives collide, echoes of a forgotten war stir again. In the space between destiny and choice, light and shadow, Ethan and Evelyn must face what sleeps within them—and what awakens when they stand together. Or fall apart.

OPPOSED

Lancaster Industries – Midnight.

Dressed in black, Ethan and Evelyn crouched behind the perimeter fence of Lancaster

Industries. The skyscraper stood ominous against the night sky, its steel exterior

gleaming under artificial lights.

Evelyn tightened her gloves. "This is insane."

Ethan smirked. "You're the one who wanted this."

"I know," she muttered. "Still insane."

With a flick of his wrist, Ethan extended a hand toward the fence. A pulse of repulsion

energy shimmered between his fingertips, and in an instant, the section before them

buckled outward, creating a hole large enough to slip through.

Evelyn stared. "That's… actually useful."

They moved quickly through the compound, sticking to the shadows. Security cameras lined

the corridors, but Ethan's control over repulsion waves allowed him to distort the

footage just enough to pass undetected.

They reached the Archives Room, a heavily secured door requiring multiple forms of

Ethan cracked his knuckles. "I can just blow the lock—"

"No." Evelyn grabbed his wrist. "We need to be quiet."

With a glance at the keypad, Evelyn placed her hand over it. She closed her eyes and

A deep hum resonated in her mind, her connection to the Attraction Stone activating. The

data stream flowed into her consciousness, and in mere seconds, she whispered, "Fourfive-nine-two."

Ethan blinked. "You just guessed that?"

She opened her eyes, smirking. "I attracted the right answer."

With a beep, the door unlocked.

Ethan exhaled. "I hate how much that makes sense."

Inside, rows of classified documents stretched before them. Evelyn's fingers danced

across the labels until one in particular caught her eye.

"Here." She grabbed two thick folders and laid them on the table.

Ethan flipped the first open. His eyes scanned the pages before narrowing. "This is about the

Evelyn's stomach flipped. "Read it."

Ethan inhaled, then started aloud:

The Repulsion and Attraction Stones are more than mere artifacts. Their origins trace back

to an ancient realm where power was once balanced between order and destruction. Should

these forces be reunited under the control of darkness, Earth will crumble, and the gateway

to the Underworld will be permanently opened.

Evelyn whispered, "So, if someone with bad intentions gains control of both…"

"The world ends," Ethan finished grimly.

He turned to the second file and continued:

King Ragnar, the ruler of the Underworld, has long sought to claim the stones as his own. It is believed he watches from the shadows, waiting for his chance to strike. If the stones are

reunited, the prophecy states that he will emerge, bringing ruin upon all mortal life.

Ethan clenched his jaw. "So that's his goal."

Evelyn's fingers curled around the edge of the table. "We're holding the key to Earth's fate."

For the first time since their journey began, the weight of their situation fully settled on them.

"We need to go," Ethan said suddenly, closing the files. "Now."

Just as Evelyn committed the information to memory, a beam of light from a guard's

flashlight swept toward the room.

Reappearing in Ethan's penthouse, they collapsed onto the couch, adrenaline still running

Evelyn spoke first. "So… we're in deep."

Ethan ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah."

She turned to face him. "What now?"

His gaze flickered toward the skyline. "We move forward. We train harder. We prepare for

Evelyn nodded. "And we keep this between us."

Ethan glanced at her, a small smirk forming. "You're getting good at this."

As they sat in silence, their bond strengthened—not just through words, but through the

unspoken understanding that they had crossed a line. There was no turning back now.

And somewhere in the depths of the Underworld, King Ragnar smiled.

Chapter 12 A Book