I held the ruined pendant in my palm, examining it carefully. The dark energy had beenpletely drained, leaving behind nothing but a cracked stone. Kathleen Harding stared at me, her face still pale with shock.


    "So it was... feeding on me all this time?" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.


    "Yes," I replied. "Slowly consuming your essence. Whoever gave this to you—your Master—he either meant you harm or was fooled himself."


    Kathleen shook her head in disbelief. "Five years... I''ve worn it for five years."


    I crushed the stone between my fingers, reducing it to dust. "Consider yourself fortunate. Most victims of such artifacts don''t survive nearly that long."


    "What happens now?" she asked, watching the dust scatter across my desk. "Will there be side effects?"


    "Your energy will begin to restore itself naturally," I exined. "I''ll provide you with some supplements to speed the recovery. You should feel stronger within days."


    Relief washed over her face. "Thank you, Master Knight. I... I don''t know how to repay you."


    "There''s no need," I said, but then paused, remembering ra''s excitement about the concert. "Actually, there is one small matter."


    "Anything," Kathleen replied instantly.


    "The VIP passes you provided yesterday—I''d like to request one more. For a young friend who''s bringing apanion."


    She smiled warmly. "Of course! After what you''ve done, I''d give you the entire front row."


    After arranging the additional VIP ess, Kathleen left my clinic considerably lighter—both physically without the parasitic pendant and emotionally with the burden of its dark influence lifted. I sent a message to ra confirming the arrangements for the concert in two days, then turned my attention to more pressing matters.


    ---


    The next morning, just as I was reviewing patient records, Eamon Greene entered my office with a tense expression.


    "Master Knight, there''s a messenger here. He insists on delivering his message directly to you."


    I nodded. "Send him in."


    A thin man with cold eyes entered and bowed stiffly. "Master Knight, I bring word from Young Master Adrian Whitlock."


    My muscles tensed immediately. The Whitlock family had been a persistent thorn in my side, and Adrian was particrly dangerous—a cultivator with talent far exceeding my own current capabilities.


    "Speak your message," Imanded.


    "Young Master Whitlock says you have three days to surrender yourself to the Whitlock family in Veridia City, or he will personallye to find you in Eldoria." The messenger''s voice was t, rehearsed. "He says your recent... interference in family matters cannot go unanswered."


    I kept my expression neutral despite the churning in my gut. With my temporary power boost fading, facing Adrian Whitlock would be suicide. Yet surrendering wasn''t an option.


    "Tell your master I''ve received his message," I replied calmly.


    The messenger nodded and departed, leaving me to contemte my limited options. Three days wasn''t much time to prepare defenses or escape routes. And I still had a promise to keep to ra.


    ---


    Two days passed in a whirlwind of preparation. I strengthened my clinic''s defensive formations, arranged contingency ns with Mariana Valerius, and even contacted The Man with the Mustache for information on possible escape routes if things went south.


    In the midst of these preparations, ra''s message arrived, reminding me of the concert that evening. I''d nearly forgotten.


    "Damn it," I muttered, looking at the clock. I was already runningte.


    Rushing to the concert venue in downtown Havenwood City, I spotted ra waiting outside with another young woman. ra''s face lit up when she saw me approaching.


    "Liam! You made it!" she called out, waving enthusiastically.


    I nodded in greeting. "Sorry I''mte. Things have been...plicated."


    ra gestured to herpanion. "This is my friend Maia. Maia, this is Liam Knight, the one I told you about."


    The other girl gave me a skeptical once-over. "So you''re the miracle worker who supposedly knows Kathleen Harding personally?"


    Her tone made it clear she didn''t believe ra''s stories about me. I couldn''t me her—from the outside, I didn''t look particrly impressive or well-connected.


    "It''s a business rtionship," I exined simply.


    Maia raised an eyebrow. "Right. And I''m secretly Kathleen''s sister."


    ra shot her friend an apologetic look. "He really does know her, Maia. That''s how we got the VIP passes."


    "Which we still don''t actually have," Maia pointed out, ncing at my empty hands.


    I checked the time. "The concert starts in thirty minutes. I''ll call Kathleen now to arrange our entry."


    Maia let out a derisive snort. "You''ll just call Kathleen Harding? The most famous vocalist in three provinces? Like you have her personal contact information?"


    ra bit her lip nervously. "You do have a way to contact her, right Liam?"


    "Of course," I replied, pulling out mymunication talisman. Before I could activate it, however, we were interrupted.


    "ra! Maia! What a surprise seeing you two here."


    We turned to see a handsome young man approaching, nked by two friends. I recognized him immediately—Anthony Harding, Kathleen''s younger brother and a notorious socialite.


    Maia''s demeanor changed instantly. "Anthony! Are you here for your sister''s concert?"


    He shed a charming smile. "Naturally. Family supports family, after all." His gaze shifted to ra. "ra Vance. You look lovely tonight."


    ra smiled politely. "Thank you, Anthony. It''s good to see you again."


    "Do you have tickets?" he asked. "The show''s been sold out for weeks."


    "Actually," Maia interjected quickly, "ra''s friend here ims he can get us VIP ess. Apparently, he knows your sister personally."


    Anthony turned to study me for the first time. His expression was one of amused disbelief.


    "Is that so?" he asked. "And you are...?"


    "Liam Knight," I replied simply. <cite ss="meta-ref-static">My Virtual Library Empire (*)</cite>


    His eyebrows rose slightly. "And you know my sister how, exactly?"


    "I provide specialized medicines for her vocal performances."


    Anthonyughed. "My sister has an entire team of physicians and herbalists. I doubt she''d remember one supplier."


    I shrugged, not particrly concerned with convincing him. "Believe what you want."


    ra looked increasingly ufortable. "Liam, maybe we should just—"


    "Wait," Anthony interrupted, his expression shifting as he looked at me more carefully. His eyes widened in sudden recognition. "Knight... Liam Knight. It''s actually you?!"


    The change in his tone caused hispanions to stare. Even Maia looked surprised at Anthony''s reaction.


    I felt a flicker of unease. This was precisely the kind of public recognition I''d been hoping to avoid with Adrian Whitlock''s threat looming over me.


    "You know him?" Maia asked Anthony, clearly confused.


    Anthony''s face had transformedpletely. The casual arrogance was gone, reced by something between awe and fear.


    "Know him?" Anthony''s voice had dropped to almost a whisper. "Do you have any idea who he is?"


    ra looked between us, confused. "Anthony, what''s going on?"


    But Anthony''s eyes remained fixed on me, his earlier dismissivenesspletely evaporated. "You''re the one who challenged the entire Martial Guild. The one they call the Heaven Defier."


    I kept my expression neutral, though inwardly I cursed my luck. Thest thing I needed was attention drawn to my identity—not with Adrian Whitlock''s deadline approaching tomorrow.


    "I think you''ve mistaken me for someone else," I said calmly.


    Anthony shook his head slowly. "No... no mistake. My father showed me your portrait. You''re the one who saved Isabelle Ashworth."


    At the mention of Isabelle''s name, my heart constricted painfully. The wound was still raw, her absence a constant ache I carried.


    ra was staring at me with wide eyes now. "Liam, what is he talking about?"


    Before I could answer, Anthony took a step back. "Why are you in Havenwood? Does my father know you''re here?"


    The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control. People nearby were beginning to take notice of our conversation, turning to look at us curiously.


    I needed to contain this quickly, before word spread that Liam Knight, the infamous Heaven Defier and enemy of the Veridia City Martial Guild, was attending a public concert in Havenwood City.