I was jolted from a dreamless sleep by urgent knocking at my hotel room door. Groaning, I forced myself to sit up, my body still leaden with exhaustion from the pill creation earlier. The knock came again, more insistent this time.


    "Coming," I muttered, dragging myself out of bed and stumbling to the door.


    When I opened it, I found Killian Moreau standing there, nked by two silent attendants. His normallyposed face showed uncharacteristic urgency.


    "Mr. Knight," he said with a slight bow. "I apologize for thete intrusion."


    I blinked, trying to clear the fog from my mind. "Mr. Moreau. This is... unexpected."


    His eyes swept over my disheveled appearance and the dark circles under my eyes. "I see the rumors of your expenditure of energy were not exaggerated." He snapped his fingers, and one of his attendants stepped forward, presenting an ornate wooden box.


    "The Ganoderma you requested," Killian said. "A hundred-year specimen, as promised."


    I took the box carefully, my fatigue momentarily forgotten as I opened it to reveal the rare fungus, glowing with a faint luminescence that signaled its potency. "You''re delivering this personally? At this hour?"


    A thin smile crossed Killian''s face. "Let''s just say recent events have adjusted my assessment of our potential... partnership."


    Of course. News of the Pill Cloud had reached him. I closed the box and nodded. "Thank you for honoring our arrangement."


    "I always honor my word," he replied, with just enough emphasis to suggest that he expected the same from me. "And I look forward to discussing future coborations once you''ve had time to recover your strength."


    After Killian departed, I locked the door and returned to bed, cing the precious Ganoderma beside my other treasures. Despite my curiosity about what had prompted Killian''s sudden change in attitude, exhaustion pulled me back under. Myst conscious thought was satisfaction that my disy of power had achieved exactly what I''d intended.


    ---


    I slept for five days straight.


    When I finally emerged from my deep rest, the world had moved on without me. Mymunication stone was filled with unread messages, and ording to the hotel staff, numerous visitors had been turned away from my door.


    As I was finishing a hearty meal to replenish my strength, a knock came at my door. This time, it was Anthony Harding, looking simultaneously relieved and troubled.


    "Master Knight! You''re finally awake," he eximed. "We were starting to worry."


    "We?" I asked, inviting him in.


    Anthony nodded. "Uncle Jackson and I. I''ve been handling inquiries about the Curing Pill in your absence, as you instructed."


    I raised an eyebrow. "I don''t recall giving any instructions."


    He looked embarrassed. "Well, you were deeply asleep, and people kepting. So I took the initiative to manage things as I thought you would want." He straightened his shoulders. "I told everyone the same thing—that you would only consider trading the Curing Pill for hundred-year medicinal materials."


    "Good," I nodded, pleasantly surprised by his initiative. "Any serious offers?"


    Anthony''s face fell. "That''s what I need to tell you about." He hesitated, then blurted out, "The pill was stolen yesterday."


    I froze. "Exin."


    Anthony''s words tumbled out in a rush. "A young man came iming to have a hundred-year ginseng. I could tell immediately it was ordinary, maybe twenty years at most. When I refused him, he became aggressive." Anthony touched his cheek, and I noticed a faint bruise I hadn''t seen before. "He had bodyguards—four of them. They held me down while he took the pill from your room."


    My voice went dangerously quiet. "Someone broke into my room?"


    "The hotel manager had given me ess to store your messages and gifts. The thief followed me in." Anthony looked down, clearly ashamed. "I''m sorry, Master Knight. I failed to protect your property."


    "This thief," I said, cold anger beginning to build, "did he give a name?"


    Anthony nodded miserably. "Miles Thornton. He made a point of announcing it, actually. Said—" he swallowed hard, "—said that you''d never dare move against the Thornton Family of Eldoria, even for a stolen pill."


    I stood up slowly, my exhaustion forgotten. "Did he now?"


    "There''s more," Anthony added. "After he took the pill, I went to Uncle Jackson for advice. When I told him about Miles Thornton, he seemed... concerned." Anthony hesitated. "Master Knight, do you know who the Thorntons are?"


    "I''m about to find out," I replied, my voice cold as ice. "Where is this Miles Thornton now?"


    "That''s why Uncle Jackson sent me. Miles is hosting a banquet at the Grand Imperial Hotel tonight, apparently to celebrate his sessful acquisition of a ''miraculous cure'' for his father''s illness." Anthony''s eyes shed with indignation. "He''s practically boasting about the theft."


    I walked to the window, looking out at the city sprawled below me. So this was the price of fame—bing a target for entitled fools who thought they could take what they wanted without consequences. This Miles Thornton had made a grave miscalction.


    "Tell your uncle I appreciate the information," I said, turning back to Anthony. "And as for the pill that was stolen—was it in the same container as when I gave it to you?"


    Anthony nodded. "The purple jade box, yes."


    I smiled thinly. The container had its own protections that the thief would soon discover. "Good. Now, about this banquet..."


    ---


    That evening, I stood outside the Grand Imperial Hotel, dressed in an elegant ck robe that belied the fury simmering beneath my calm exterior. The night air was cool against my skin, a wee contrast to the heat of my anger.


    As I approached the entrance, a burly doorman stepped forward, eyeing me with suspicion. "Invitation?"


    I smiled. "I believe Miles Thornton is expecting me."


    "Name?" he demanded.


    "Liam Knight."


    The doorman''s eyes widened slightly in recognition before he schooled his features. "Wait here," he said, before disappearing inside. A few momentster, he returned with a thin man in expensive clothing who introduced himself as the event manager.


    "Mr. Knight," he said nervously, "I''m afraid your name isn''t on our guest list."


    "That''s fine," I replied calmly. "Just tell Miles Thornton that the owner of the pill he stole is here to see him."


    The manager''s face paled. "Sir, I don''t know what you''re implying, but Mr. Thornton is hosting a private celebration for—"


    "For his sessful theft," I finished. "I know. Now, you can either escort me in, or I can find my own way. Which would cause less disruption to your event?"


    The manager nced anxiously between me and the doorman, clearly weighing his options. Before he could decide, the doors swung open, and a young man emerged, surrounded by bodyguards. He was handsome in a polished way, with perfectly styled hair and clothes that screamed wealth.


    "So," he drawled, looking me up and down with an amused expression, "you''re the famous Liam Knight."


    "And you''re the thief who took my pill," I replied evenly.


    Milesughed, the sound dripping with arrogance. "Thief? I merely collected what I needed." He gestured dismissively. "Your little assistant was being unreasonable. A man in my position doesn''t have time for games."


    "Return the pill," I said simply, "and I''ll consider the matter closed."


    The amusement in Miles'' eyes hardened to contempt. "I don''t think you understand who you''re dealing with. The Thornton family doesn''t return what it takes." He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "My father needs that pill. And what my father needs, he gets."


    "The pill won''t work for him," I stated tly. <small ss="ref-38b3f8">Love this story? Show support at *.</small>


    Miles sneered. "Because of some childish protection spell? Our family alchemists have already begun breaking it down."


    I smiled, the expression not reaching my eyes. "That''s not how it works. But you''ll learn."


    Something in my tone must have unnerved him because his sneer faltered briefly. Then his arrogance reasserted itself. "Leave now, Knight. Consider yourself lucky I don''t have my men teach you a lesson about respecting your betters."


    "This isn''t over," I warned, turning to go.


    "It was over before it began!" Miles called after me. "Ask anyone about the Thornton family! We crush insects like you without a thought!"


    I didn''t dignify his taunt with a response, but as I walked away, my mind was racing with ns. This Miles Thornton had made two critical mistakes: he''d stolen from me, and he''d been foolish enough to announce his identity.


    I needed information about the Thornton family before my next move. And I knew exactly where to start.


    ---


    "The Thorntons?" Alistair Northwood''s brow furrowed deeply as he poured me a ss of aged whiskey in his private study. "What have you gotten yourself mixed up in now, Liam?"


    I epted the drink, recounting my conversation with Anthony Harding and my confrontation with Miles outside the banquet. With each word, Alistair''s expression grew more troubled.


    "Miles Thornton," he repeated when I finished. "He actually gave his full name?"


    "Proudly," I confirmed. "Seemed to think it would scare me off."


    Alistair sighed heavily, running a hand through his silver hair. "It should have. The Thorntons are one of the Three Great Families of Eldoria. Their influence extends far beyond mere wealth or political connections—they have ties to the highest echelons of the Martial World."


    I took a slow sip of my whiskey, letting the information settle. "And Miles? Where does he stand in this family?"


    "He''s the second son of Ryker Thornton, the current family head." Alistair''s eyes met mine gravely. "Liam, this isn''t some minor noble you can intimidate or outmaneuver. If Ryker Thornton is ill and they stole your pill for him, you may have just made an enemy too powerful to fight."


    I set down my ss, resolve hardening in my chest. "It doesn''t matter who they are. No one takes what''s mine without consequences."


    Alistair''s expression darkened as he stared into his drink. "I was afraid you''d say that."