Don felt something coming. He couldn't tell how soon, but he knew. Ever since John opened his eyes, Don could sense the shift. Power now pulsed through the air, an energy ready to kill anything in its path.
In his chamber, Don sat on his throne when a sudden surge of energy filled the room. He jumped to his feet, voice booming:
Don: "Cane!"
From the hallway, Cane ran as fast as he could. The devil never repeated himself. Sweat streamed down his face. Don's voice had shaken the entire palace.
Cane: "My Lord, you called me?!"
Don rose from the throne and walked toward Cane, holding his sword.
Don: "All these years I trusted you, treated you like a brother."
Cane's face sank in confusion and fear. Tears ran down his cheeks.
Don: "You told me you killed him. You've been playing me all this time."
Cane: "I did! I swear I did!"
Don (shouting): "Then why do I keep seeing him in my visions? He kills me—over and over. Because of you, brother. You kept me in the dark!"
Don grabbed Cane by the head.
Cane: "Please! I'll find him—I'll kill him! Just don't kill me!"
Don: "It's too late for that. Any last words, brother?"
Without hesitation, Don slid the sword across Cane's throat. Blood spilled across the floor. The room fell into tense silence. Don returned to his throne and whispered:
Don turned. "Get me the Council. Tell them... the impossible may be happening."
Don: "I'm sorry, brother. But sacrifices must be made. Soon, you'll be among my royal army, reborn."
He turned to a nearby soldier.
Don: "What are you waiting for? Go find him. I want his head—and his heart."
Army (in unison): "Yes, Don!"
Don sat back slowly, the blood still glistening on his blade. His eyes narrowed.
Don (muttering): "He's alive… and getting stronger."
A flash of the vision returned—John standing above him, glowing, eyes like burning suns. Don clenched the armrest of his throne so hard the metal bent
---
Meanwhile, John and Mary walked through the woods, still trying to find a way out.
John: "Where are we?"
Mary (pointing at a boulder): "Only those with high ability can enter and come out of here alive. That's why no one found you. This place is called the Dome. Stories say it was once a prison for demons. No one has returned in years."
John: "Then why haven't we seen any creatures?"
Mary: "Because the energy here is too high. You're highly rated, so the atmosphere responds to you. It's like a trance."
As they walked, strange whispers floated through the trees. The air shimmered around them, distorting reality. The ground pulsed with a quiet heartbeat beneath their feet.
Suddenly, John spotted a strange creature he couldn't describe.
John (startled): "What is that?!"
Mary: "One of the deadliest. I killed it on my way to find you."
John (in shock): "You killed that thing? How strong are you?"
Mary looked him straight in the eye.
Mary: "My power is nothing compared to yours, John. You have more than you think."
---
Later that day, John was asleep inside the Dome, having nightmares. Outside, Mary was in battle with demons, fighting with all she had. Exhausted and bloodied, she screamed:
Mary: "John! Wake up! You have to save us!"
Inside his dream, John was in a war zone. Her scream pierced through. He shouted, and a burst of light exploded from his body. Every demon turned to ash.
Mary fell to the ground, heart pounding. As she looked up at John, her breath caught in her throat. His skin glowed, his body hovering slightly above the ground. The light around him flickered like lightning in slow motion.
Mary looked at him, breathing hard, sweat pouring from his face. Then, she collapsed.
At dawn, John awoke and found Mary unconscious. Panicked, he rushed to her and picked her up, closing his eyes to think. His body began to glow. The hair on his arms stood straight. Energy filled the air.
Mary's eyes fluttered open. She thought to herself: It's him again… that rare ability. And he's so cute.
John's face glowed like the sun. Her wounds vanished.
Mary: "John… John… John!"
His glowing eyes slowly faded as he returned to normal.
John (confused): "What happened?"
Mary (smiling): "Thanks for saving me… again."
John: "What happened last night?"
Mary (serious): "We have to keep moving. We're too exposed here. I almost died. But you killed them all—without moving."
John: "We've been trapped, walking in circles. I thought I was imagining it. But now I know."
He took her hand.
John (firmly): "Follow me."
They entered a cave. Somehow, John knew where to go. On the other side, they emerged near an old building.
Mary: "We're out."
She turned to him and whispered:
Mary: "Follow me. Stay low. We're going to meet the others."
John: "Others?"
Mary: "Yes. There are four of us—trained since birth for this day. Trained to die… and kill… for you. You're the last of us. The strongest. The Young Lord. Our leader."
John stared at her, the words echoing in his head: Young Lord… He didn't feel like a leader. Not yet. But something inside him stirred—like it had been waiting.
John, meanwhile, stood alone on the balcony of the safehouse, staring into the moonlit horizon. The sky above the Dome shimmered faintly, like a fragile barrier between freedom and confinement. He clenched the railing, thoughts racing.